February 2008

Terry Scicluna, Pharmacy Business Column – Don’t forget about Pharmacy

I have been reading with interest some of the recent headlines around the government’s proposed reforms of the NHS and one thing that is striking and somewhat concerning to me, is that many of these proposals do not include any mention of a potential role for, or the possible impact on, pharmacy.

In particular I recently read an article in The Times newspaper, which investigated the Government’s plans to abolish small independent surgeries in favour of what are being dubbed as ‘supersurgeries’. The impact to GPs and patients was widely investigated but no indication was given of how local pharmacy businesses would be affected by the closure and consolidation of surgeries in their area. I have also just read about the recent proposals from the Prime Minister for NHS reforms and planned enhancements for health services including screening programmes, as well as preventative care and management of conditions including obesity, diabetes and asthma. Again no mention was made of the part that might be played by pharmacists in facilitating some of the roles outlined in these planned reforms.

It seems to me that there is there is some conflict in the messaging from the Government as to exactly what they are looking for from pharmacy. The Prime Minister recently spoke of his plans for a wider role for the profession, as part of his plans for NHS reform. Yet the Department of Health’s planning for the NHS thus far does not seem to reflect this, and almost three years on from the launch of the ‘new’ pharmacy contract, the profession continues to struggles to gain recognition and engagement from Primary Care Organisations and other healthcare stakeholders. Furthermore, the feedback I received following the recent APPG meeting has indicated that many of the questions put to Dawn Primarolo about some of the challenges faced by the profession remained largely unanswered. It feels very much like the pharmacy profession is treading water as it waits for the Department of Health to make its mind up as to what exactly it expects from it. So exactly what is going wrong?

The representative bodies in the sector have in the past focussed largely on promoting pharmacy to other stakeholders in the healthcare sector, with varying success. But one critical area where I think the pharmacy profession has struggled to make progress since the implementation of the new contract in 2005, is in raising awareness of what it is truly capable of amongst the general public. Perhaps it is time for pharmacy to promote itself as frontline healthcare providers to the most important stakeholder of all – the patient.

I am still concerned that very few people who come in to a pharmacy know what an MUR is, nor are many of them aware that their pharmacist can potentially provide them with a range of diagnostic testing and other key health related services. Furthermore the understanding of what exactly EPS means to patients is in my opinion very poor. At the same time we continue to read regular headlines which speak of patients not having enough access to GP service and healthcare provision – surely this is where education as to the increased role of pharmacists should be considered – yet there is still little awareness of it. Pharmacists are highly skilled healthcare practitioners but I fear that the inherent modesty within the profession is limiting its progress.

If other healthcare stakeholders will not take pharmacy seriously then I believe it is time for pharmacy to reach out to the public and help patients to understand exactly what their local pharmacist can do for them.

The NPA has established its ‘Ask your pharmacist’ campaign and has begun to utilise the power of national advertising and PR, including a recent article in The Guardian helping to raise the profile of the profession. Yet I still feel that there is a need for greater targeted and well funded promotion of the role of the pharmacist, which should be lead by and endorsed by each of the representative bodies and the Department of Health.

Even if this is not a realistic option in the current climate of a cash hungry NHS, there is plenty of scope for pharmacists to better market themselves at a local level. This could be something as simple as identifying an interesting case study of how your services have benefited your patients, getting in touch with your local paper and telling them about it. Or educating your customers as to exactly how you can benefit them in this new age of pharmacy by utilising local marketing tools such as leaflets, newsletters and posters. Quite simply, don’t assume that your patients will come to you if they aren’t fully aware of what you can offer.

If the public has a greater awareness of what pharmacists can now provide in terms of healthcare services, surely such knowledge will stimulate greater demand at a consumer level. If pharmacists can then demonstrate to PCOs and other healthcare stakeholders evidence of a demand from the public for accessible healthcare services, surely this will build a strong case for obtaining better engagement and, dare I say it, ring fenced funding for pharmacy services! Alliance Boots and UniChem have and will continue to use their lobbying power to assist with raising the profile of pharmacy at Government level, but I believe that it is now more important that ever for pharmacists come out from the dispensary and champion themselves within their local communities. Do not be afraid to promote your skills – the public needs you!