The Association of Optometrists (AOP) welcomes the report, Supervision in Community Pharmacy, by the Pharmacy Supervision Review Group (PSRG) on the future outlook of pharmacy practice.
Earlier this year, the PSRG, made up of organisations across the pharmacy sector, united to form a working group designed to inform how future community pharmacy is delivered.
Dr Michael Twigg, Associate Professor of Primary Care Pharmacy, University of East Anglia and Head of Research Design and Evaluation, NHS Norfolk and Waveney, chaired the group. Carolyn Ruston, Policy Director at the AOP, provided the secretariat.
Setting out recommendations to the Department of Health and Social Care and regulators, the PSRG report addresses four key legislative areas:
- Supervision in pharmacies
- The temporary absence of the Responsible Pharmacist (RP) from pharmacies
- The preparation of medicines when the RP is not signed in, and
- Delegation of preparation and sale of medicines to appropriate members of the pharmacy team.
Ms Ruston said: “I was delighted to be asked by the sector to act as an independent secretariat to Dr Twigg and the rest of the pharmacy supervision review group. The recommendations are the result of hard work and collaboration from across the pharmacy sector.
“The report and associated recommendations, especially those relating to issues around delegation and supervision, have also been raised in discussions surrounding the future of primary care optometry, as shown last year in our response to the GOC consultation on the Opticians Act (1989).
“The recommendations brought forward by the group will ensure the skills of the community pharmacy workforce is maximised to guarantee improved patient outcomes, and it’s a positive signal of the role optometry can play in the delivery of extended services.”
On the impact of the report, Dr Twigg said: “This report is a major step forward for community pharmacy and will enable the sector to work in new ways to support their patients and communities. It is a report that values the contribution of all members of the pharmacy team and provides a platform for the development of a more holistic model of care. I would like to thank all organisations for their commitment to this process and the honesty with which they have approached the discussions and their interaction with me. This report would not have been possible without this commitment to build a positive future for community pharmacy practice.”
Following the recommendations made by the PSRG, a further consultation process will commence to develop future legislative and regulatory changes proposed by the Government and regulators.
