Key Summary
- NPA wants pharmacies to be embedded in the broader public health infrastructure
- Pharmacies should be resourced and commissioned to support proactive, outreach-based, preventative work
- They should be involved in tackling the root causes of health inequalities
The National Pharmacy Association has urged the Government and NHS to support pharmacy-based public health services to tackle health inequalities, which is one of the major thrust areas in its 10 Year Health Plan for England.
The NPA has published a report ‘Our Mission to Tackle Health Inequalities’, which is based on a roundtable meeting in April, chaired by Professor Maggie Rae, former president of the Faculty of Public Health.
It observed, "The pharmacy sector is uniquely placed in local communities, trusted by the public, and accessible to those who often face the greatest barriers to care."
As community pharmacies are present in every neighbourhood – often in the most underserved areas – they are one of the most accessible and trusted points of contact in the healthcare system.
The major recommendations of the report include:
Pharmacies can no longer be seen only as mere dispensers of medicines, but must be embedded in broader public health infrastructure.
It should have a seat at the table in integrated neighbourhood teams and local authority health boards.
Pharmacies must be resourced and commissioned to support proactive, outreach-based, preventative work - particularly in areas of deprivation.
There is a political and economic momentum towards prevention and neighbourhood care; pharmacy should align with this shift and pursue roles that tackle root causes of health inequalities - such as digital exclusion, cultural barriers and lifestyle-related chronic illness.
The report cites smoking cessation, sexual health, vaccinations, and health checks as areas for growth for pharmacies.
The report concludes: “Collectively, we are on a mission to tackle health inequalities, which for too long have been allowed to fester in society and failed the people who need help the most.”
NPA board member, Sanjay Ganvir, who attended the event, said, “The more deprived an area is, the less access to health services the community has. The only part of the NHS estate that bucks this ‘inverse care law’ is community pharmacy.
“This report by the NPA sets out clear calls for action to address health inequalities. Given the Government’s stated intention to shift more attention to prevention, it’s time to move our ambitions up a gear - provided there is sufficient new investment to sustain this vital work."
