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Community pharmacy shares its 'Forward View'

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Community pharmacy shares its 'Forward View'

Pharmacy Voice and PSNC, with the support of the RPS English Pharmacy Board, have released their vision for the future of community pharmacy.

The Community Pharmacy Forward View sets out the pharmacy sector’s shared ambitions to radically enhance and expand the personalised care, support and wellbeing services provided by community pharmacies, focusing on three key roles for the community pharmacy of the future:

  1. As the facilitator of personalised care for people with long-term conditions
  2. As the trusted, convenient first port of call for episodic healthcare advice and treatment
  3. As the neighbourhood health and wellbeing hub.

In the scenarios outlined in the report, community pharmacists and their teams would be fully integrated within other local health and care services in order to improve quality and access for patients, increase NHS efficiency and produce better health outcomes for all.

Commenting on the launch, Pharmacy Voice’s chief executive Rob Darracott said: “The Forward View, and the development of three key domains of practice, are our starter-for-ten. They may appear ambitious but all of the proposals are based on innovative work of community pharmacy teams across the country, which is happening right now.

"We want this best practice to become commonplace across the pharmacy network and we are committed to working with colleagues, partners and our stakeholders make this happen, starting with an achievable, aspirational and collective vision of the future.”

Alastair Buxton, director of NHS Services at PSNC, said: “The health and care system needs community pharmacy to play its part in improving the care of patients and helping people to stay healthy, so we hope that the Department of Health, NHS England and local service commissioners will positively engage with us to explore how this vision can inform the future commissioning of community pharmacy services."

Sandra Gidley, chair of the English Pharmacy Board added: “For many months pharmacists and their teams have faced uncertainty about the future, the Community Pharmacy Forward View is designed to provide a sense of direction for community pharmacy, from community pharmacy.

"We are committed to working with PSNC and Pharmacy Voice to make sure the views of patients the public as well as RPS members shape these proposals into practical changes that will improve care through making the most of community pharmacists' skills.”

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