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Making an impact on the public is the only way in which pharmacy can €break out of the downward spiral€ of saving the NHS money while seeing its own funding cut in return, Avicenna chief executive Salim Jetha told the group's annual overseas conference, held last month in North Cyprus (reports Charlotte Rixon).

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 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 time issues€ and discuss clinical matters 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.