7/29/2019 New approaches to primary care key to enhanced disease prevention, more convenient access to affordable care

1/2

Embargo:notforquotationbefore11.00hours,ThursdayJanuary17th

2013

Newapproachestoprimarycarekeytoenhanceddiseaseprevention,

moreconvenientaccesstoaffordablecareandtheoptimaluseofmedicines

Policiesonhealthrecordavailabilityandtreatmentprovisionshouldreflectpatientsinterestsand

permitbettercoordinatedcare,ratherthaninhibitprofessionalandservicedevelopment

SueSharpe,theChiefExecutiveofthePSNC1,todaypresentedablueprintforcommunity

pharmaciesto

serve

as

athird

tier

in

the

NHS,

alongside

GP

practices

and

hospitals.

Innovations

like

HealthyLivingPharmaciescanprovidebetterandmoreaffordablecareinareasrangingfromthe

preventionandearlydetectionofobesityandsmokingrelatedproblemssuchascancers,strokes

andheartdiseasethroughtoensuringgoodtreatmentforpeoplewithraisedbloodpressure,type2

diabetesandsomeemergencyneeds.

ShecalledonMinistersandnewhealthservicebodiessuchastheNHSCommissioningBoardto

championwaysofenablingcommunitypharmaciststocontributemoretotheeconomicprovisionof

wellintegrated,easytoaccesshealthservicesforpeopleatallstagesoflife. Theprimarycare

progresstheNHSneedstosurvivethroughthenextdecadeofausteritycanonlyhappenthrough

strongpartnershipsbetweencommunitypharmacistsandprofessionalslikeGPs,communitynurses

and

social

care

providers.

Building

on

the

good

relationships

that

already

exist

between

doctors

and

pharmacistsisvital,althoughwhenpatientandpublicinterestscanbebetterservedbyextending

serviceuserschoicesorcloserworkingacrosstraditionalboundariesweshouldnotbeafraidof

radicalchange.Bettermedicinestakingalonewillgenerate100sofmillionsofbenefitandsaving.

OtherkeymessagesfromcontributorstoaUCLSchoolofPharmacymeetingheldattheRoyalSocietytodayto

discussSueSharpesanalysisandpromotetheachievementofbetterpharmaceutical carefollowingthe

implementation ofthisyearsNHSreformsinApril2013include:

Moreeffectivemedicinestakingsupportforvulnerablepeoplelivingintheirownhomeswillsavelivesand

preserveindependence. LeadingindependentpharmacistandNHSFutureForummemberAshSonisaid

therearerisksofbackwardneglectinthecommunity,andfailurestohelppeopletaketheirmedicinestobest

effect.This

causes

needless

illness

and

waste.

The

new

Clinical

Commissioning

Groups

should

work

to

extend

theprimarycareroleofcommunitypharmacists,andmoreeffectivelycombinesocialcareprovisionwithhelp

inmedicinestaking.

Theimportanceofprofessionalisminthetwentyfirstcentury.HelenGordon,theChiefExecutiveoftheRoyal

PharmaceuticalSociety,arguedthatrecenteventsatMidStaffordshireNHSTrustandelsewhereintheNHS

haveshownthatprofessionalismputtingthepatientattheheartofdecisions isntanicetodo,itisapre

requisiteforsafeandeffectivehealthcare.Pharmacistscontributethroughapplyingnotonlytheirknowledge

ofmedicines,butalsocompassionateinsightintohowandwhyindividualsbehaveastheydo.Theyarestriving

toachieveexcellencethroughprofessionalisminthefaceofunprecedenteddemandandatatimeoffinancial

constrainwithintheNHS.Thelessonfromotherhighriskindustriesisthatthesystemandcultureinwhich

1

ThePharmaceutical

Services

Negotiating

Committee.

Sue

Sharpe

will

give

the

2013

UCL

School

of

Pharmacy

annual

lectureentitledFromMakingMedicinestoOptimisingHealthPharmacistsinthe21stCenturyattheRoyalSocietyontheeveningofJanuary17

th,2013.

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peopleoperatemustallowprofessionalismtoflourish.Organisationalprofessionalism,makingsurethat

boardsandmanagersprioritisethequalityandsafetyofcareaboveeverythingelse,isalsoessential.

Publichealthprogrammestocurbproblemslikeexcessivedrinking,obesityandtheconsequencesof

physicalinactivityandpoordietneedtobecomplementedbysupportforindividuals.ProfessorRichard

ParishoftheRoyalSocietyforPublicHealth,whochairstheDHsPharmacyandPublicHealthForum,noted

thatcommunitypharmacyhasledthewayinsmokingcessation,andencouragingtheuseofmedicinesthat

helppeople

who

want

to

change

their

behaviour

to

stop

using

tobacco.

Members

of

bodies

such

as

the

new

HealthandWellbeingBoardsshouldsupportpharmacyservicedevelopmentsacrossthespectrumofpublic

healthactivities.Ialsobelievethatcommunitypharmacistsshouldbeabletoreferpeopledirectlytodiagnostic

services,asandwhentheyhavereasontobelievethiscouldbringbenefit.

Widerandmorecosteffectiveuseofmedicinesthatcanpreventdiseasewouldsavethousandsoflivesand

disablingeventseveryyear.Providingmoreconvenient,lesscostly,populationaccesstomedicinesthatcan

preventstrokes,heartattacksandconditionssuchascoloncancerwillbecomeanincreasinglyimportantNHS

andglobalgoal,notedpolypillpioneerandRoyalSocietyFellowProfessorSirNicholasWald.Community

pharmacistshaveakeyroletoplayinachievingthis,andpromotingfuturehealthgainsinwaysthatavoid

harmfulmedicalisation,andareconsistentwithfreeandinformedindividualchoice.

Better

ways

of

predicting

non

adherence

in

medicines

taking

and

enabling

patients

to

use

medicines

as

effectivelyaspossiblewillalsosavelives.UCLSchoolofPharmacyresearcherandspecialistHIVphysicianDr

DavidPaosaidtodaysmedicinescanallowpeoplewithHIVtolivelongandfulfilledlives,andstopdisease

transmission.Buttheydonotworkiftheyarenottakenproperly,andweneedtobeabletopredictthis

problem.Thesameistrueinotherareas,likecancertreatment.Pharmacyisatthecuttingedgeofhelpingto

optimisethenationshealththroughbettermedicinetakingitisakeyareaforresearchandbetterpractice.

DrDevynSmithofPfizerpresentednewinformationaboutthedevelopmentoftreatmentsbythe

researchbasedpharmaceuticalindustryandUniversitiessuchasUCL.Hedescribedcurrentprogress

inmolecularandregenerativemedicineintheUKandelsewherethatpromisesbettertreatments

forconditionsrangingfromlungcancers(over10percentofwhichhappeninnonsmokers)to

ulcerativecolitisandmaculardegeneration,aleadingcauseofblindness.ProfessorDavidTaylorof

theUCL

School

of

Pharmacy

said

austerity

or

not,

continuing

to

invest

in

new

and

more

effective

treatmentsisavitalpublicinterest.Sotooisimprovingaccesstomedicinesandtheprofessionalcare

neededtousethemtooptimaleffect,nationallyandglobally.Pharmacyandpharmaceuticalshave

importantrolestoplayinthetwentyfirstcentury,asintegratedpartsofcaresystemsaimedat

meetinghumanneedandhelpingindividualsachievetheirgoals.

END

Note:Forfurtherinformation,thecontactdetailsforindividualsquotedinthisreleaseandadditionalpressresourcescall

DavidTayloron07970139892.JournalistswishingtoattendthemediaseminartobeheldattheRoyalSocietyfrom10.30

amonthemorningofJanuary17th

arerequestedtoinformSarahThumBonnanoatSarah.ThumBonnano.09@ucl.ac.uk

Therespondentstothe2013UCLSchoolofPharmacylecturewillbeMikeFarrarCBE,theChiefExecutiveof

theNHS

Confederation,

and

Professor

Duncan

Craig,

the

new

Director

of

the

UCL

School

of

Pharmacy.

Mike

Farrarsaidtoday:primarycareredesignandinnovationslikeHealthyLivingPharmaciesarewheretheactionis

today.Imaywanttoseemorechangethanthosewithmoredirectinterestsintheexistingsystemare

comfortablewith.Butwithoutbetterprimaryandcommunitycare,andanintermediatetierofselfcare

supportinvolvingpharmaciststakingonmoreofthetraditionalGProle,IdonotbelievetheNHSwillbeableto

delivertheefficiencygainsneededinwaysthepublicisgoingtofindacceptable.

DuncanCraigsaidalongwithprovidingarigorousscientificbackgroundonthedevelopmentanduseof

medicines,thepharmacydegreeinvolvesteachingthecompetenciesneededtoensurethesafeandeffective

useofestablishedandnewmedicines. Wealsoseektoinstiltheprofessionalvalues,resilienceandinsightour

studentswillneedtopromotewellbeinginarapidlychangingworld.AttheUCLSchoolofPharmacyweare

committedtoachievingthesegoals,andtoenhancingcooperationwithmedicine,nursingandotherhealth

careprofessions

to

serve

patients

and

improve

the

publics

health

as

cost

effectively

as

possible.