It’s one of the most widely offered patient perks in community pharmacy and now prescription collection and delivery services have a more refined framework, designed to give patients and pharmacists greater protection.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland recently published new professional guidance to pharmacists on the provision of these services, designed to assist pharmacists in delivering high quality, safe, and efficacious care to patients. The guidance also supplements the Pharmaceutical Society’s existing professional standards for pharmacists on the matter. “The guidance is the result of a wide-ranging consultation with patients and professionals in 2010,” explained policy advisor Richard Price. “The guidance is primarily targeted at ensuring safe delivery of medicines to patients.

Matters covered within the guidance include the pharmacist’s professional accountability for systems in operation, the need to obtain and record a patient’s consent for prescription collection and/or delivery services and suggestions on maintaining appropriate audit trails. It also looks at appropriate management of risk in relation to the dispensing and delivery of Controlled Drugs within a prescription collection and/or delivery service, ensuring there is contact with patients for the purposes of medicines advice; and collection and delivery services within the context of hospital pharmacy.”

The Society’s registrar Brendan Kerr also believes that the new guidance is robust and representative. “I hope pharmacists in Northern Ireland will find the guidance a useful adjunct to their existing safety and quality frameworks,” he said. “That is its key purpose. I would also like to place on record my thanks to the members of the public, and the profession who contributed to its development throughout 2010.”

Last year over 23,000 people in Northern Ireland set a quit date through smoking cessation services, an increase of around 10 per cent on the previous year, and it is this success that has prompted the campaign to encourage more smokers to use the services provided by local pharmacies.

“Statistics have shown that providing easy access to these services encourages smokers to take the first steps towards quitting,” explains Michael Guerin, managing director of Medicare. “By encouraging more use of these ‘walk in’ clinics we can not only help to reduce the number of people smoking, but also the number of people that are taking up seats in GP surgeries in order to seek advice and guidance which can easily be provided without the need for an appointment through their local pharmacy."

The figures for smokers who set a quit date last year through smoking cessation services included 320 young people aged 11 to 16, with around 112 (35 per cent) of them reported to have successfully quit at the four-week follow-up.

With these facts taken into consideration, smoking cessation programmes are now compelled to offer children as young as 11 the opportunity to quit, in an attempt to prevent them from smoking as adults. On average over 50 per cent of adult smokers who set a quit date go on to successfully quit by the time of their four week follow up.

“Smokers need support at a local level that is consistent and accessible,” Michael added. “Being able to pop in to their local pharmacy for advice and support should help to increase their ability to successfully quit.”

Economists have joined the fight to better support young people who experience drug misuse. Leading experts have insisted that the benefits of helping teenagers cope with drug and alcohol problems significantly outweigh the costs after putting a price on the value of substance misuse services for young people for the first time.

European consultancy Frontier Economics says every pound invested in such services saves the taxpayer between £5 and £8 over a lifetime, based on the most conservative assumptions. Even over a two year period, the immediate benefit gained from each £1 invested is estimated as worth about £2.

This return on investment comprises short-term savings in crime and health costs as well as long-term reductions in the costs associated with adult dependency, including the prospects of education and employment. The cost-benefit analysis of substance misuse services for under-18s was commissioned and published by the Department for Education in England. It was based on NTA figures which showed a record 24,000 young people received drug and alcohol interventions in 2008-9, the vast majority for problems with cannabis or alcohol.

The NTA oversees young people’s substance misuse services on behalf of the government, and recently allocated £25.4m of central funding for 2011-12, the same level of investment as now.

Pharmacy took its position among the politicians yesterday when a parliamentary event was attended by more than 150 pharmacists and GPs. English Health Minister Earl Howe and other key MPs, including the Chair of the Commons Health Select Committee and Labour’s Shadow Health spokesman, expressed their views on what the current health reforms will mean for community pharmacy and the wider primary care setting.

At the event co-sponsored by AAH Pharmaceuticals, Earl Howe stated that he remained confident that community pharmacy had a central role to play and that the government’s reforms would open up new opportunities.

Other speakers highlighted the role which community pharmacies play in informing and advising the public in addition to providing patient services and on-going care for those with long-term conditions.

“This is a critical time for community pharmacy which is why we sponsored this event organised by the charity Silver Star in order to give pharmacists in particular the chance to ensure their voice is heard by the Pharmacy Minister for England, and, other key MPs who will influence national healthcare policy,” explained James Lindsay, head of corporate relations.

“This is the kind of support for customers which makes AAH different and which makes a difference for our customers. I believe AAH customers recognise that and that is one of the reasons why they choose to do business with AAH.”

Thirteen pharmacists stood for election at the end of 2010, sharing their manifestoes with Pharmacy in Focus and vying for the vote of their peers.

It’s a key step forward for considerations on what the future of Northern Ireland pharmacy could hold and more importantly, how it could be influenced. Over 2000 votes were cast, counted and eight candidates were elected to the management board. Raymond Anderson, Johanne Barry, Declan Byrne, John Clark, John Hamill, Martin Kerr, Anne McAlister and Kate McClelland will meet next month for their first official engagement and are already sharing ideas on how they believe the new body ought to function and engage.

Among other properties, Declan Byrne believes that the forum Board can provide a clear unified voice on behalf of all pharmacists when liaising with the regulator, other health professionals and with the media.

“Just take a look at the number of votes cast and you can see that we have a truly representative body,” Declan Byrne told PiF. “I believe the new forum can provide a network among pharmacists to share knowledge, ideas and experiences and to meet challenges together as we move toward a more service driven profession. It’s a big step in the right direction of promoting the profession as a key resource within the health service and to fully recognise the position which the pharmacist has within the community.”

Anne McAlister, who is already known to the pharmacy profession through her representative work with the NPA, is happy with the level of interest the forum has already generated among pharmacists. “I’m really pleased to have been elected to the Professional Forum Board and delighted that many pharmacists took the time to participate in the election,” she said. “I am excited about the emerging opportunities in pharmacy and I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on the Board to help shape a strong leadership body for pharmacy in Northern Ireland.”

Julie Greenfield, the professional forum manager was delighted with the turn out to the ballots. “It was very encouraging to see so many pharmacists participating in the voting process and showing their passion for the future of the profession,” she said, “with 17 per cent of all registrants voting and over 2100 votes cast.”

What Next?

The Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, Ulster Chemists’ Association and Pharmaceutical Contractors’ Committee have been invited to put forward their nominees for their respective allocated places on the Forum Board. They will then join with the eight elected members to audit the skill base available. If necessary the Forum Board can then exercise its co-option powers to bring individuals, with specific skills or knowledge, onto the management board.

“It is envisaged that the professional forum will be a member-led grassroots organisation therefore an early priority for the Board will be to ascertain the needs of its members in its formative period,” Julie added. “So in the year ahead pharmacists should be prepared to have their voice heard by contributing and participating in the forum activities.

“This is a great opportunity for pharmacists in Northern Ireland to build and support a strong leadership body by distilling a clear vision of where the profession should be heading. I have no doubt that the new Forum Board will have the passion and drive to take it there.”

The home of one of the modern world’s greatest drug discoveries is set to close, costing almost 2,500 job losses or relocations from Pfizer's research and development plant in Sandwich, Kent. The factory which created Viagra is to close after the pharma giant announced global R&D activity cutbacks, saving around £930m.

Business secretary Vince Cable is concerned about the move but assured that Pfizer and other manufacturers still regard the UK as a primary location for research. “It is extremely disappointing that Pfizer has decided to end its research and development activity at its site in Sandwich," he said. "The company has been clear that this decision was part of its global programme of change and not based on a judgement of the UK as a location for pharmaceutical research.”

The secretary of state for Business, Skills and Innovation is also taking matters into his own department’s hands to minimise the impact upon the local economy, establishing “a local taskforce under the leadership of Kent County Council” to work with Pfizer and the new Local Enterprise Partnership, recruiting assistance from England’s health minister.

"David Willetts, Andrew Lansley and I will work closely with the Taskforce in the coming months to ensure every possible effort is made to mitigate the impact of Pfizer’s decision on local jobs and the local communities,” he added. “We will also be meeting with Pfizer, other key companies and local representatives as a matter of urgency to discuss innovative ideas for continuing R&D activities in this very well equipped facility, and how the key strands of the R&D portfolio based at Sandwich can best engage with academic teams across the UK who have the potential to drive forward the most innovative areas of UK bioscience.”

In a bid to raise awareness about the breadth, variety and indeed complexity of services offered throughout community pharmacies in Northern Ireland, pharmacy contractors Lee Dearn and James McKay joined David McCrea in Dundela Pharmacy to welcome the Health Minister.