By Celesio UK* managing director, Cormac Tobin.

The new minister responsible for pharmacy, David Mowat, has said that the principles outlined in the Community Pharmacy Forward View were ’spot on’
and acknowledged the fact there is a big contribution pharmacy can make in areas such as long-term conditions. I believe this is a positive step to move us forward.

I know that community pharmacy is a vital asset to the NHS, especially at a time when it is facing unprecedented demands, and we need to work together to make the Forward View a reality.

The new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, commissioned
by PSNC, highlights the vital role that community pharmacy already delivers.
The report looks at 12 services, including public health, self-care support and medicines support services, and concludes that pharmacies made more than 150 million interventions in 2015.

From the services covered by the report, research also found that community pharmacy contributed an in-year benefit of £3 billion, and overall shows that the services delivered more benefit than they cost – with the main beneficiary being the NHS.

Looking at the report in a broader context, it is also very positive about the societal payback that the network brings to our communities through knock-on health benefits. All good evidence to support the sector in making its case for continued investment and a central role in looking after the health and wellbeing of the nation.

The minister has alluded to a massive expansion in primary care over the next few years, with pharmacy centre stage – so it is crucial that he recognises the considerable value, expertise and potential that the existing network of community pharmacies and their teams can deliver as part of this growth.

^{* which includes LloydsPharmacy and AAH Pharmaceuticals}