Dear
Member,
The healthcare landscape is shifting, and as community pharmacy owners, you're at the heart of this evolution. We wanted to highlight some exciting changes and opportunities coming your way.
1. Independent Prescribing in Community
Pharmacies:
The move towards enabling community pharmacists to independently prescribe represents a significant step towards enhancing local community care and addressing health disparities. By integrating pharmacists as independent prescribers:
- Patients will benefit
from faster access to high-quality healthcare.
- Pharmacies can play an active role in preventing health deterioration and monitoring long-term conditions.
- Collaborative efforts with primary care networks will be strengthened.
- Furthermore, pharmacy technicians are expanding their clinical roles, which means more multidisciplinary collaborations and a push for change.
2. Training for Tomorrow's Pharmacist Prescribers:
From September 2026, all new
pharmacists will be independent prescribers from day one! This pivotal shift underscores a clear call to action for pharmacists who are not currently independent prescribers: seize this opportunity and enrol in the course. The future of community pharmacy is taking a distinct turn towards clinical orientation. To ensure you remain at the forefront of this evolution, it's imperative to adapt and expand your skillset. You certainly wouldn't want to be left behind in this dynamic
landscape.
But there's more:
- Health Education England has been offering up to 3,000 independent prescribing courses since Autumn 2022, open till March 2024.
- The Pharmacy Integration Programme is rolling out funded clinical examination skills training, preparing pharmacists for their expanded roles. This includes modules in cardiovascular disease, ENT, dermatology, and paediatrics.
3. The Pathfinder Programme: A New Dawn for Community Pharmacies
NHS England is pioneering a programme with pilot sites, known as 'pathfinder' sites, to integrate community pharmacist prescribers into primary care clinical services. This initiative presents a golden chance for you to:
- Redefine and strengthen your pharmacy's role in clinical services.
- Collaborate closely with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to harness the full potential of community pharmacists.
- Engage with a broad network, including NHS bodies, local authorities, and community organisations for seamless care delivery.
On a related note, we have two independent prescribers in our office who are more than willing to offer guidance and advice on how to become an independent prescriber. As the ICBs move forward with these developments, we're keenly observing and are here to provide support.
As always, contact us at the office on info@pharmaplusltd.co.uk if you require further help of advice.
Regards
PharmaPlus
