The National Pharmacy Association highlighted the role community pharmacy services play at the Men’s Health Addressing Health Inequalities in the 21st Century conference on Thursday 15 October 2009.

An audience of health professionals, NHS managers and outreach teams heard that the accessibility of community pharmacy provides a platform for health improvement and that many services are suited to men. Vascular risk schemes, sexual health programmes and other pharmacy based health maintenance interventions were flagged.

Speaking at the conference in London, NPA Head of External Relations Stephen Fishwick said: “Men use pharmacies less than women, and the scope for more men to get more from community pharmacies is considerable. Men, especially those in the working population, have difficulties accessing primary health services, but community pharmacists are comparatively accessible health care professionals. There is a growing track record of pharmacies supporting health improvement and we hope men will take advantage of the greater range of services now available.”

The NPA will encourage men to visit their local pharmacy to access health services, during Ask Your Pharmacist Week (9-15 November 2009). http://www.askyourpharmacist.co.uk details the current services being provided at community pharmacy. There is a postcode finder on the website to help people locate their nearest pharmacy offering health services.

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National Pharmacy Association

The Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) are pleased to announce the launch of Communicating locally - a new local solutions resource designed to help community pharmacists, GPs and trainee GPs to improve how they communicate with their colleagues.

Using a workshop-based format, the programme aims to help attendees to become more confident when communicating with other members of the healthcare team in discussions relating to patient-centred care. Through better communication, pharmacy and practice staff can achieve not only better working relationships but also enhanced levels of patient care.

Those attending a Communicating locally event will be given a pre-workshop booklet to help them prepare. At the workshop, they will discuss case studies and relevant communication issues with their colleagues. They will also be asked to think about how they can change their practice and use their learning to aid their continuing professional development.

Commenting on the new resource, Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) General Practitioners Committee, said: “We believe that Communicating locally will be of great benefit in helping to facilitate communication and joint working between general practitioners and pharmacists, as we share the NPA and CPPE’s commitment to ensuring that patient care is of the highest quality. Inter-professional co-operation is one way of achieving that.

“We are grateful to have had the opportunity to help shape this workshop and very much look forward to the continuation of such joint working between the professions in the future.”

John Turk National Pharmacy Association Chief Executive said: “Over the past ten years there have been massive changes in the way we communicate with each other. This has coincided with a greater need for all healthcare professionals to work more closely to ensure better patient care. Communicating locally will build stronger relationships between GPs, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. The NPA is delighted to be working with CPPE and the BMA on the project.”

The Professional Relationships working group for the Pharmacy in England White Paper, which incorporates NHS Employers, has also endorsed the Communicating locally resource.

About CPPE and local solutions

The Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) is funded by the Department of Health to provide continuing education for practising pharmacists and pharmacy technicians providing NHS services in England. It is based in the University of Manchester’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science within the multidisciplinary teaching environment of the Faculty of Medicine and Human Sciences. Since 1991, CPPE has focused on designing and delivering new programmes on both the national and local needs for pharmacists providing NHS services.

CPPE has launched local solutions to support enhanced services through harmonised accreditation processes. The workshops can be used by commissioner or provider, or be commissioned from CPPE. Other resources in this learning format include Chlamydia screening and treatment and Safe management of controlled drugs.

Other learning formats available to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians practising in England include learning@lunch, focal point, open learning, tutor-led workshops and e-assessments. Learning programmes are designed to aid pharmacy professionals in pursuing their continuing professional development (CPD). Please visit the CPPE website http://www.cppe.ac.uk for further information.

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National Pharmacy Association

The NPA (National Pharmacy Association) has expressed concern over the level of detail which PCTs need to submit for their Quality Accounts and how this could impact on community pharmacy.

Margaret Peycke NPA External Relations Manager said: “Whilst we fully support the delivery of quality services and improvement in service delivery and acknowledge that organisations need to reflect on their practice in order to improve, we believe that data gathering generally and the production of Quality Accounts specifically should not overwhelm the delivery of services and lead to reduced patient care.”

“Many community pharmacies are small provider organisations and do not necessarily have the administrative capacity to produce detailed documents - the data they need to submit must be commensurate to their activity. Community pharmacies already suffer from many cumbersome administrative requirements and to add to this may in fact deter them from providing additional services for the benefit of their communities, rather than improve the delivery of the services they provide.”

Regional and national pharmacy chains will face other but equally considerable administrative challenges. The cost of providing Quality Accounts must be calculated accurately and that amount factored into practice payments when the Department of Health is negotiating with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC).

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National Pharmacy Association

Representatives of the NPA have met with the Minister for Health and Social Services, Edwina Hart, to discuss a number of matters on behalf of members in Wales.

The Minister expressed a desire to better understand those issues that are acting as barriers to community pharmacy contributing its full potential.

In response NPA Board members Chris Jenkins and Raj Aggarwal have written personally to pharmacy contractors in Wales to ensure that members have an opportunity to feedback directly about their concerns.

NPA Board member for Wales Chris Jenkins will share the results of this survey with the Minister at a meeting in June.

Raj said :

“It is essential that a structured and strategic approach is taken to the development of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. This needs to be accompanied by a clear understanding of the role that community pharmacy will play in patient care.”

Chris added:

“The fact that WAG wish to identify if there are barriers to community pharmacy fulfilling its potential and delivering a range of improved services to the people of Wales should be seen as a very encouraging step. The more responses we receive the louder the voice we can have at the top level of Welsh politics, please complete the survey which will have arrived at your pharmacy business address.”

This survey forms part of an Operating Environment Survey that the NPA will roll out throughout the UK. The survey was sent on May 15th 2009 and can be returned by fax to 01727 795934 or mail to External Relations, Mallinson House, 38-42 St Peter’s Street, St Albans, AL1 3NP. We are asking for feedback before the 18th June.

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National Pharmacy Association