Public Health England (PHE) has launched Pharmacy: A way forward for public health, a document that sets out the opportunities for commissioners and pharmacy teams to make a difference to the public’s health.

The document is the latest strategy to champion pharmacy teams as key to improving public health. Its broad approach provides a menu of interventions that pharmacy teams are, or could be, delivering. This includes the opportunity to get involved in commissioned and private services such as blood pressure and atrial fibrillation, diet and obesity, dementia, maternity and early years, sexual health and substance misuse.

A pivotal role 

PHE emphasises the pivotal role of pharmacy teams as a community and health asset, particularly in deprived areas of the country. Something that Laura Reed, head of professional development at Numark, welcomes: “It is once again encouraging to see that the PHE recognises the importance of pharmacy and the pivotal role we can play in making a difference to the public’s health… We are pleased to see that the wider pharmacy team are encouraged to play a significant role in supporting interventions that help the public to make small but sustainable changes.”

The authors, Gul Root, lead public health pharmacist for PHE’s Health and Wellbeing Directorate, and Dr Justin Varney, national lead for adult health and wellbeing at PHE, hope that commissioners and providers will use the opportunities to maximise the potential contribution of community pharmacy teams to improve public health.

PHE is working with the Pharmacy and Public Health Forum to collect case studies of promising practice to help identify opportunities to build on current learning and scale what is working.