National Voices’ response to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s Expert Panel on Pharmacy
- Primary care
- Health inequalities
- Lived experience
Our response drew on insights collated from our members and Lived Experience Partners during a roundtable held in October 2022. The event, held on behalf of the National Pharmacy Association, explored the future role of community pharmacy within primary care and the broader system. In addition, our committee submission drew evidence from our wider primary care work with our membership and other stakeholders.
Our response highlighted the role of community pharmacy in building trust and providing a friendly front door to the NHS, alongside the role of pharmacy in providing continuity of care for long term conditions. We also discussed ways in which community pharmacy can help to tackle health inequalities, and the importance and need for services to work meaningfully with people, communities and the voluntary sector.
The Committee will collate and review the responses submitted to it as part of its scrutiny of nine government commitments to pharmacy. These cover the pharmacy funding model, training, maintaining physical pharmacy sites, eliminating paper prescribing and widening the role of pharmacies to include work on prevention and diagnosis. The Government has also committed to developing a Community Pharmacist Consultation Service which would take referrals from NHS111, GPS and A&E.
Read our response in full here.