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Latest News
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1/27/2012
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Lansley warns pharmacy to engage with GPs and health boards
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The Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has warned pharmacy to up its game.
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Community pharmacy must establish close links with local authorities, Health and Well-Being Boards and GPs, the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley told an audience at the launch of the Public Health Outcomes Framework.
The new framework, announced at the Royal Society of Public Health, forms the thrust of the coalition's strategy to improve healthy life expectancy and reduce differences in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy between communities.
Responding to a question from Mike Holden, the chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, about whether pharmacy will be consistently commissioned to provide services nationally and locally going forward, Lansley warned that the profession must prove its worth through extensive engagement with health bodies and doctors. Holden, however, remained optimistic.
“If you look at the progress indicators that local authorities will be measured against, such as fewer falls and smokers, you can immediately see where community pharmacy fits in,” he said. “Community pharmacy has an absolutely key role in improving the public’s health. During the Q&A, I pressed the Secretary of State on what assurances he can give that community pharmacy will be consistently and appropriately commissioned nationwide and locally in the future.
“This is important - the Healthy Living Pharmacy initiative demonstrates what can be achieved if the energy of pharmacists and pharmacy teams is backed by commissioners.”
Lansley also told Holden the current pharmacy contract needs revising because it does not fit in with an extended public health and wellbeing role.
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