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Pharmacy needs to become more efficient if it is to meet the demand made by patients and the healthcare system for clinical expertise, Keith Ridge, England's chief pharmacist, told conference delegates.

Those who spend taxpayers' money have to get value for money, he said, so pharmacists should expect much closer inspection of how money is spent. He urged the profession to make more use of dispensing robots and centralised dispensing systems that enable patients to place 'click and collect' orders or delivery requests for their prescribed medicines.

€Medicines wastage and overuse, hospital admissions due to medication, poor adherence €“ this is chaos that has to be sorted out,€ Dr Ridge said. €Clinical pharmacy will and must become standard pharmacy practice,€ he continued, saying that making better use of technology would €free up highly trained staff to help patients€.

Dr Ridge called on the UK schools of pharmacy to bring the €creaking€ education system up to date by introducing integrated courses that brought together clinical practice and academic studies.