To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote the role and value of community pharmacy services.
Answered on
5 February 2020
The Department has made no assessment of the comments made on ITV’s This Morning Programme.
Last July, the Government set out plans in a landmark five-year Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework deal. This will see community pharmacies fully integrated in the National Health Service providing more clinical services.
This deal full recognises the valuable contribution that community pharmacies, situated in the hearts of our communities, make to the NHS. Pharmacists are fully trained, over five years, as experts in medicines. That is why we have recently commissioned the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service and are currently running a mass media campaign to promote their role in supporting people to deal with minor illnesses.
We also see a role for pharmacists in supporting people to stay healthy for longer by identifying and supporting people to address key risk factors for disease, for example high blood pressure or weight, and signposting those who want support to services locally.