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Policy makers and politicians have been challenged to champion the role of community pharmacy in the run-up to next year's general election.

Pharmacy organisations have drafted a 'Manifesto for Community Pharmacy' that they hope will move the sector up the political agenda. By signing up to the document, MPs and parliamentary candidates will be supporting the manifesto's five key pledges:

• Encourage patients to €think pharmacy first€ in order to relieve pressure on GPs and emergency departments
• Make it easier to commission pharmacy services and back more national services in order to improve patient choice and outcomes
• Recognise the accessibility of community pharmacy and the supportive role it plays in improving the public's health
• Enable patients, especially those with long-term conditions, to get more out of their medicines by making better use of pharmacies
• Help pharmacies get access to the records and information they need to provide safer and more effective patient care

Sue Sharpe, chief executive of PSNC, one of the pharmacy bodies behind the document, pointed out: €The pledges within this manifesto should not bring any surprises €“ these are things that pharmacy has been saying for some time and they are the things we are all working towards.€

Clear and consistent

Rob Darracott and Claire Ward, chief executives of Pharmacy Voice and the Independent Pharmacy Federation respectively, the two other organisations involved in the manifesto, urged pharmacies to invite local political candidates to their pharmacies so they can see for themselves the services on offer and the impact these can have on patients.

Mr Darracott, speaking at the launch of the manifesto, made the point that for all the positive noises made by ministers about how pharmacists can contribute to the healthcare agenda, €talk is cheap. We need some commitments to make these things happen€. Equally, community pharmacy had to be €clear and consistent about its offer€.

The manifesto calls for change to enable community pharmacy to expand its role in improving patient experience and outcomes as part of a more sustainable health service. It also lists a number of actions politicians can take:

• Push for investment to build the public's understanding of pharmacy's place in primary care
• Back national commissioning of services so all pharmacies can offer minor ailments schemes, flu vaccinations and emergency hormonal contraception on the NHS
• Ask commissioners to agree national standards and service specifications so local schemes can be rolled out if national services are not in place
• Encourage health and wellbeing boards to oversee partnership working by local commissioners to ensure the most is made of community pharmacy
• Support sharing of patient information (with consent) between GPs and pharmacies

Far more care needs to be provided locally in primary care and a €radical upgrade€ is needed in prevention and public health. €Community pharmacy should be at the heart of these changes,€ the pharmacy bodies state.