Scotland’s high street pharmacists say a government mandated recruitment drive to fill roles in GP surgeries must be halted because it threatens to undermine the viability of the local pharmacy network.

Community Pharmacy Scotland says the equivalent of 600 full-time pharmacists and 300 full-time pharmacy technicians have already been recruited by the NHS to work in GP surgeries.

With the vast majority of staff moving across from community pharmacy, the organisation, which negotiates on behalf of Scotland’s 1258-strong network of local pharmacies, warns this is causing an unsustainable “workforce drain”.

Last week’s NHS Recovery Plan made a new commitment to restart the recruitment so that pharmacy support can be delivered to every Scottish GP practice by April 2022.

Under the 2018 General Medical Services (GMS) contract, the so-called ‘pharmacotherapy’ service – the long-term management of people’s medicines – was one of a number of tasks traditionally undertaken by family doctors that would move across to other staff.

At the end of July, the Scottish government, NHS Scotland and the doctors’ trade union the BMA signed a new memorandum of understanding reiterating their commitment to the move for GPs to become ‘expert medical generalists’ and updating the timelines for the transition of services, including for routine vaccination and medicines management, to the new arrangements.

In a statement issued today on behalf of its board, Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) warns the workforce shift to general practice has occurred with no planning to account for the impact it might have on hospital and community pharmacy services:

“We believe this uncoordinated recruitment is now one of the major and enduring contributing factors to our unprecedented workforce pressures.

“There are simply not enough pharmacist and pharmacy technician hours in the country to satisfy the combined demands of all three sectors, yet the recently published memorandum of understanding in July 2021 alongside the NHS Recovery Plan indicates there is no sign of slowing the progress in the pharmacotherapy element of the GMS contract for at least the next two years.”

Last week the professional organisation for pharmacy, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Scotland, and the BMA’s Scottish GP committee called for additional funding to address staffing and IT problems that are creating “significant challenges” to the delivery of the changes being brought in under the contract.

In today’s statement, CPS calls on the government, MSPs, the NHS and other healthcare professionals to step in and support Scotland’s community pharmacy network.

They say ‘appropriate workforce planning’ is needed, that places priority on ‘roles that are critical to patient wellbeing and timely access to services’.

CPS says the community pharmacy network is ‘absolutely committed’ to the NHS Recovery Plan but the current approach to recruitment will ultimately undermine the ambitions for high street pharmacists to be local health hubs and a first port of call for patients.

“There are many challenges facing the NHS at this time and the community pharmacy network is no different,”  CPS says in its statement.

“The network also needs to recover and support teams after what has been a challenging time where they have shown tremendous commitment, fortitude and resilience.

“Without a change in policy, the unnecessary strain being placed on teams in the coming months and years through this ongoing recruitment will undoubtedly worsen.

“CPS would always be interested in working with partners within health boards, the Scottish government and the wider primary care team, to see how we can maximise the skills of the pharmacy network, but we must be part of discussions and solutions to minimise impact on patients.”

 

Read More: Joint warning over GP contract progress; ‘Many worrying gaps’ in NHS recovery plan; GPs’ roles in routine vaccination to end; Pharmacists set out 2030 vision; Community pharmacy: We want to do more.

 

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