"Making an impact on the public" is the only way in which pharmacy can "break out of a downward spiral" of saving the NHS money while seeing its own funding cut in return, claimed Avicenna chief executive Salim Jetha at the group's annual overseas conference (reports Charlotte Rixon).

During yesterday's opening session in North Cyprus (May 25), Mr Jetha pointed out that while prescription volume has risen by 50 per cent over the last five years, the corresponding funding for contractors has only gone up by 25 per cent, so that in effect pharmacy teams are "working at half price".

Despite pharmacies making lots of cost savings for the NHS (through negotiating cheaper prices for generics, for example), "very little of that goes back into pharmacy".

The public would "stand up for their community pharmacies" but only if pharmacists prove their value to their patients and customers. He also stressed the need for pharmacists to "overcome timing issues" and make an effort to discuss clinical issues with GPs, as well as suggesting that minor ailment schemes be renamed 'Pharmacy First' to improve public perceptions of pharmacy as the place to go for managing common ailments.