Parliamentarians hear from pharmacist speakers about the challenges facing the pharmacy workforce at APPG meeting – 22nd February 2022.

This week on Tuesday 22nd February, the All-Party Parliamentary Pharmacy Group hosted our virtual event, Empowering the Pharmacy Workforce. Alongside our fantastic panel of pharmacist speakers, we were also joined by several parliamentarians, who heard directly about the challenges facing the community pharmacy workforce. 

Our Chair Jackie Doyle-Price MP led a discussion with our panel of frontline pharmacists and industry experts. Speakers discussed the current challenges facing the pharmacy workforce and debated the different ways that we can address them, ensuring pharmacy teams can continue to grow their significant role in the NHS.

We were delighted to hear from our distinguished panel including:

• Paul Mason, Superintendent of Lo Pharmacy

• Mark Koziol, Chairman of the Pharmacists’ Defence Association.

• Malcolm Harrison, CEO of the Company Chemists’ Association.

• Anil Sharma, practicing community pharmacist, and East Anglia Representative of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee

• Alan Ryan, Director of National Transformational Programmes at Health Education England.  

As ever, we would like to thank everyone who took the time to join us for the event, and for their continuing support for the whole pharmacy sector. 

Parliamentarians discuss ways to make the most of local pharmacies in primary care at APPG meeting - 1st December 2021

On Wednesday 1st December 2021, the All-Party Parliamentary Pharmacy Group hosted a virtual event, Making the Most of Pharmacy in Primary Care. At the event, parliamentarians heard about the massive contribution of pharmacy teams.

 APPG Chair Jackie Doyle-Price MP led a discussion with pharmacy and primary care professionals. Speakers discussed the current challenges and opportunities in the pharmacy sector. Including some of the solutions that pharmacies can offer to post-COVID health challenges and backlogs. How to unleash the potential of pharmacy in the new Integrated Care Systems was also discussed.

 We were delighted to hear from the panel of speakers. Dr Richard Vautrey, former Chair of the BMA’s General Practitioners Committee, discussed the relationship between pharmacy and general practice. Stuart Semple, Interim Chief Pharmacist at an Integrated Care System (ICS), discussed pharmacy leadership in new health systems. James Semple, pharmacist and Vice Chair of Community Pharmacy Scotland, spoke about Scotland’s Pharmacy First scheme. And Nick Kaye, Vice-chair of the National Pharmacy Association and pharmacy owner, discussed the NPA’s recently launched “How We Can Help”, report.

Overview of discussion

The APPG heard about merits of removing unnecessary bureaucracy between general practice and pharmacy. An opportunity for health systems to drive better outcomes by aligning priorities and targets across providers of primary care was also discussed. MPs heard how the pharmacy profession can come together to better leverage local leadership systems. There was also an important discussion about how community pharmacies can improve access to primary care and prevent ill health.

Pharmacies have shown themselves to be a valuable member of the NHS family. The meeting highlighted how it was important to appropriately recognise them in the new Integrated Care Systems. Local pharmacies deliver a vital service and have a huge role to play alleviating pressures on other areas of health services.

We are grateful to all those who joined us for the event and their continuing support for the pharmacy sector.

Deadline for submitting evidence for our inquiry into the future of the pharmacy sector extended

The APPG for Pharmacy is extending the deadline for its call for evidence into the future of the pharmacy sector in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim for the inquiry is to feed into the creation of a manifesto, which can inform the decision-making of parliamentarians and other policymakers on a range of pharmacy-related issues in the aftermath of COVID-19.

We will now be accepting submissions of evidence until 15 November via contact@pharmacyappg.co.uk.

Full terms of reference and guidance on submitting evidence, as well as a short submission form (optional) can be found here.

Please contact contact@pharmacyappg.co.uk if you have any questions or would like any further information.