The Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Scotland is calling for a ‘far greater’ role and recognition for pharmacy professionals as the experts in medicines.

Unveiling its ambitions for the profession and the patients it serves, the professional organisation for pharmacy says it wants pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to play a greater role in ensuring the best use of medicines – based on conversations with patients, outcomes data and the best available evidence.

Clare Morrison, Director for Scotland at RPS, said: “In our vision, pharmacists will be recognised as medicines experts who take leadership of prescribing in all care settings and optimise therapeutic outcomes for patients.

“This means prescribing, monitoring, reviewing, adjusting and stopping medicines, underpinned by empowering patients to make shared decisions.”

The Pharmacy 2030 vision for Scotland was written in consultation with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in all healthcare settings across Scotland. Published jointly by RPS Scotland and the National Pharmacy Technician Group Scotland (NPTGS), it was first set out as a draft document for consultation in April of last year.

The organisations say robust workforce planning will be essential to achieve the right skills mix in pharmacy teams – including the ambition that every patient facing pharmacist should be an independent prescriber, in their own right, by 2030.

Melanie Bryan, Chair of NPTGS, said: “The vision sets out that in 2030, pharmacy technicians will lead medicines management processes, both in technical roles focused on safe and efficient supply of medicines, and in patient-focused roles to support patients’ use of medicines.”

The profession is using the launch of the document as an opportunity to renew its call for better access to patient data.

After several years of trying to get access to people’s emergency care records out of hours, high street pharmacists were allowed to read information about the medicines that patients were already on early in the pandemic.

The RPS says the next step needs to be the introduction of a single shared electronic patient record across all health and care services which, it says, would allow better, safer care for patients.

Under their 2018 contract, after the end of March, Scotland’s GPs will no longer be responsible for pharmacotherapy services – the management of their patients’ medicines. A programme to employ more pharmacists to work alongside GP practices has restarted despite concerns raised by Community Pharmacy Scotland that this would lead to a brain drain from one part of the profession to another.

The vision commits the profession to broadening the number of people who make community pharmacies their first port of call for minor illnesses, building on the NHS Pharmacy First service launched in the summer of 2020.

The profession also wants to embed its role in medicines governance, ensuring safe and effective use of medicines and supporting ”lean processes to achieve accurate prescribing, dispensing and use of medicines”.

Andrew Carruthers, Chair of the RPS Scottish Pharmacy Board, said he was excited at the publication of Pharmacy 2030:

“Pharmacy teams already make a huge contribution to people every day, and a spotlight was shone on their vital work during the pandemic. However, we also know that pharmacy has the potential to achieve so much more, and publishing Pharmacy 2030 is the first step on our journey to achieving this.

“By working with partners across health and social care, we will ensure pharmacy continues to deliver improved health outcomes for people, across all care settings, long into the future.”

 

The full vision and executive summary is published on the Royal pharmaceutical Society’s website.

 

Read more: £20m urgent care reforms need "rapid refinement"; First step towards women’s health pharmacy service; Expansion confirmed after Pharmacy First milestone.

 

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