Pharmacy strengthens health systems 

A message from Claire Nevinson, Pharmacy Superintendent:

We recently celebrated World Pharmacists Day on the 25th September, which marks a day to highlight the achievements and amazing work of pharmacists and their teams, and showcase how they help improve the lives of patients every day. I hope you took some time to reflect on the great impact you have on your patients and the community.

The theme for World Pharmacists Day this year was ‘Pharmacy strengthens health systems’, and this was underpinned by a message from the FIP (International Pharmaceutical Federation) to “Let pharmacies do more”. Worldwide, it is acknowledged that there is a wide range of needs that can be met by pharmacists, which would relieve pressure on, and save time for, other areas of the health system. This theme is fitting given the recent publication of ‘A Vision for Community Pharmacy’, commissioned by Community Pharmacy England. This vision follows work in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to paint a view of the sector in 10 years' time.

The ‘Vision’ report sets out how community pharmacies’ role in healthcare could be expanded over the next decade, focusing on how they can help to address key policy ambitions and the increasing demand in primary care, including a greater role in the management of more acute and some long-term conditions. For this vision to become a reality, we need to continue to look at innovative ways to automate processes to help pharmacists spend time with patients delivering clinic-based services, including prescribing. We continue to work on changes to the dispensing processes; we commit to sharing updates on these initiatives in future editions of The Professional Standard.

This month, I am delighted to announce our Protected Learning Time offer for registrants (pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and nurses). Registrants employed for 15 hours or more per week will receive two days per year; those employed for fewer than 15 hours per week will receive one day per year. There will be content hosted on our learning platform, such as bi-monthly 15-minute podcasts or webinars, a quarterly module linked to consumer health (The Boots Healthcare Way Tutor) and bespoke eLearning on products and services. One of the Protected Learning Time days will be allocated to attending a full-day event next year. Look out for information on BootsLive.

Whether you’re experienced or newly qualified, the importance of continual learning cannot be overstated; there is always something new to learn. I would encourage you to have this mindset when it comes to incidents, which present an opportunity to learn, reflect and strengthen patient safety.