The Company Chemists' Association chief executive Malcolm Harrison has welcomed the government's plan to help reduce premature death due to heart disease and strokes, and called for a greater role for pharmacies in providing timely care.
The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework aims to reduce premature deaths from cardiovascular disease by 25 percent over the next decade.
The plan aligns closely with the broader 10 Year Health Plan and the NHS’s ongoing shift from reactive to preventative healthcare.
Harrison said, “The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) sets out a bold approach to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke. "Community pharmacy's accessibility, location and presence within local communities make it ideally placed to play a greater role in CVD prevention, diagnosis and management.
"Additionally, a greater role for the sector can ensure targeted action in more deprived areas, where more pharmacies operate and the CVD burden is highest.
"The CVD MSF’s focus on reducing smoking prevalence, increasing hypertension detection and improving diabetes care aligns closely with areas where the CCA has already modelled an expanded role for the sector.
"CCA modelling shows that a national pharmacy-led smoking cessation service could support over 225,000 people to quit each year. Meanwhile, an NHS-commissioned Type 2 diabetes screening service in community pharmacies could screen 1.5 million adults annually, identify 180,000 people with prediabetes and 45,000 undiagnosed diabetics, saving the NHS £50m in recurring costs annually.
"As a first step, we urge policymakers to expand the Community Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check Service. Further, independent prescribing should be harnessed by allowing pharmacists to initiate the supply of medicines to treat hypertension.
"Of course, any expanded role for community pharmacy must be matched with appropriate funding, and be commissioned as part of a strategic plan to stabilise the community pharmacy networkWe look forward to seeing further detail on how local systems will be advised to implement the CVD MSF."
To improve outcomes and reduce healthcare inequalities, the framework outlines 12 priority actions to be implemented over the next three years by local health and care systems.
The key priorities include identifying and managing high-risk conditions: This includes hypertension, high cholesterol, chronic kidney disease, diabetes and heart failure through proactive case finding and personalised care.
Improving urgent care pathways: This ensures that patients experiencing heart attacks or strokes receive rapid, high-quality treatment, where timely care is crucial.
Long-term support: Helping patients recover more effectively and return to daily life through improved access to cardiac and stroke rehabilitation services.
