NPA: Pharmacy services can help NHS achieve long-term goals

Pharmacy health checks can help the NHS with its core clinical priorities, the National Pharmacy Association has said.

Investing in screening, diagnostic and monitoring services in pharmacy will drive better outcomes in cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions and cancer, the NPA is saying.

The NPA’s comments were made in response to a consultation on ‘Developing the long-term plan for the NHS’.

NPA chief executive Mark Lyonette said: “The pharmacy representative organisations – AIM, CCA, NPA, PSNC, RPS – have been working together to ensure that a consistent narrative is presented to those developing the NHS long-term plan.

“Our clear message is that pharmacy offers solutions to the major challenges that the NHS will face over the next decade.”

Five critical tests

The NPA has set out five tests to measure the health service’s long-term success:

Have more services delivered by providers embedded in local communities
Maximise the use of technology “but without losing the human touch in healthcare”
By focusing on prevention and health improvement, make the NHS more of a ‘wellness service’ than an ‘illness service’
Draw on the potential of the entire health and social care workforce
Reduce the gap in health outcomes between the better off and worse off.