28 Jul 2010
NPA Chairman, Ian Facer, comments on items discussed at this month’s NPA Board meeting (26-27 July 2010):
“The Board considered in detail the recently published Liberating the NHS white paper, which sets out changes to commissioning arrangements in England.
The white paper presents many challenges, but there is also a significant opportunity to grow pharmacy’s role in achieving value for money medicines use and in public health. Furthermore, the new NHS Commissioning Board should be a vehicle to move pharmacy services forward in a less piecemeal fashion that has been the case under local, PCT-led arrangements.
I have already told the Health Secretary that GP commissioning can only make best use of NHS resources and be truly transformative if it is characterised by accountability and genuine partnership with other front-line professionals, including community pharmacists.
Our immediate concern is that the period between now and the settling in of new commissioning arrangements must be one of progress in the NHS, not regression, with continued investment in the NHS front-line. Community pharmacy offers the potential for swift and sure progress towards better health outcomes, and pharmacy service development need not be put on hold until new commissioning structures bed down. Early moves on a national concordance scheme and minor ailments could bring about tangible benefits in every community. Pharmacy Minister Earl Howe has agreed to meet the NPA shortly and we hope to inject more urgency into policy development for community pharmacy so that our sector’s potential is not overlooked in these critical early days of the new administration.”