46. The Department of Health in England, as well as the devolved authorities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, have all proposed major extensions to the role of community pharmacies within NHS healthcare provision. In England, the Department of Health's Pharmacy in the Future—Implementing the NHS Plan set out an ambitious programme for the role of modern pharmacies in meeting the diverse and changing needs of patients.[55] As Sue Colling of the Co-operative Pharmacy Community Technical Panel put it: "Increasingly, pharmacists are becoming part of the wider healthcare agenda and engaging in provision of primary care health rather than retailers."[56] The question is how the current regulatory framework aids or hinders the objectives set out in these programmes.

47. Much of our written as well as our oral evidence expressed concern that deregulation of entry into the pharmacy market would jeopardize these programmes, in part because it would make it harder for Primary Care Trusts to plan the local provision of pharmacy services. As Mr D'Arcy of the NPA argued:

we are on the cusp of making great use of pharmacy and pharmacists' skills, improving pharmacists' input and improving patient care. That is the policy that is outlined in Pharmacy in the Future and the various other UK strategies. Therefore, pharmacy services, as part of overall NHS care, should be planned and managed.[57]

48. We also heard that implementation of the proposals to involve pharmacists much further in primary care had the potential to save considerable amounts of money for the NHS, in particular in terms of doctors' time. For example, Ms Sharpe from the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) told us it has been estimated that if pharmacists take on repeat dispensing from GPs, they could save 2.74 million GP hours.[58]

49. However, countering these views, ASDA argued that it was precisely the requirements for change and adaptation to the needs of modern patients that made de-regulation necessary.[59]

50. We support the objective of giving community pharmacies a greater role in the provision of primary care, including repeat prescribing. It is essential that all people, including those from rural and deprived areas, have access to pharmacies, and in order to achieve this, it is crucial that Primary Care Trusts have the ability to plan the provision of pharmacy services.

56   Q124 Back

57   Q117 Back

58   Q7 Back

59   Ev 5 Back