Please find below and attached letter from Mike Hewitson - Chair of Pharmacists in Pharmacies Campaign - highlighting concerns that patients must have access to pharmacists in pharmacies at all times. Please take the time to read this email and respond in the appropriate
way!
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Do you believe access to a pharmacist is vital?
Dear colleague, We are at a crucial juncture for community pharmacy. As many of you will know, the Department of Health are looking at reforming the need for a pharmacist to be present in a pharmacy at all times. This work has been stalled because of fierce opposition led by Martin Astbury, President of RPS at the ‘Rebalancing Board’.
Shortly RPS will seek to elect a new president.
We are very concerned that some of the potential candidates have not always acted in the best interests of community pharmacy, and have enabled the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer to imagine a future where pharmacies are run by technicians and pharmacists work only in GP practices. This will be bad news not only for patients who rely on face to face care and advice, but could imperil the livelihoods of tens of thousands
of community pharmacists. A pharmacy without a pharmacist is just a shop.
We are seeking your support to sign the attached letter which will be delivered to candidates in the RPS Presidential election as soon as they are known.
1. To sign follow this link https://pharmacistsin.com.
2. Forward this message to anyone in your network who you believe supports the need to
keep pharmacists available in pharmacies at all times.
This is an initial engagement, which we hope will lead to a strong, and unequivocal position from the RPS which as our professional leadership body is critical to these discussions. We are prepared to press further if we do not meet with a satisfactory response.
If you are an RPS member, I hope you will be able to sign this letter by adding your name and RPS membership
number. Yours sincerely, Mike Hewitson Chair, Pharmacists in Pharmacies Campaign
