Pharmacy bodies have joined forces to launch a joint manifesto for community pharmacy, ahead of the next general election expected later this year.
Community Pharmacy England, the Company Chemists’ Association, the National Pharmacy Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society have published the new manifesto, which calls on election candidates to back a six-point plan to ‘unleash the potential of community pharmacy’ and show their support.
The six-point plan includes:
- Fill the funding gap, and commit to long-term sustainable funding, so pharmacies can deliver more of the NHS care patients need.
- Support and enhance the community pharmacy workforce to ensure that pharmacists and their teams can continue to meet the needs of patients now and in the future.
- Ensure that patients can access the medicines they need, including an end-to-end review of the medicines supply chain.
- Rollout an enhanced Pharmacy First service for England, mirroring the highly successful approaches taken in Scotland and Wales.
- Empower community pharmacists to do more, with an ambitious roadmap for independent prescribing.
- Make pharmacies centres for public health, prevention and reducing health inequalities.
Tase Oputu, Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England, commented: “Community pharmacy plays a central role in the care of millions of patients each year, boosting vaccine uptake, tackling health inequalities and ensuring vital access to medicines – but the system is also under pressure, and sustainable funding and support for the workforce will be crucial.
“As more pharmacists become prescribers, it is vital the next government makes the most of this opportunity to transform patient care and ensure a positive future for community pharmacy at the heart of the nation’s health service.”
Pharmacy teams can use the manifesto to engage with political parties and candidates in the run-up to the election.
The #VotePharmacy manifesto and other resources can be accessed from a new online general election hub, www.votepharmacy.org. The hub includes advice about engaging with candidates.
