Pharmacy- What does it have to offer?

There was  promise that pharmacy would be the new frontline face of the NHS and now with  government cuts,  we are forced to contemplate where exactly do we stand? This years’ seemingly innocuous 6% cut means a substantial £170m reduction in pharmacy funding.  A grim future comes to mind, with this potentially meaning a decline in pharmaceutical services and pharmacy closures leading to reduction in access to healthcare advice with mounting pressure on GPs and hospitals. This loss builds sure grounds for a self-fulfilling prophecy – reaffirming the perpetuated image of pharmacists as mere suppliers of medication. The disparity between public perception and the actual job role is wherein  lies the core of the problem.

It saddens me that media and public fall prey to this impression .The prevailing attitude that a Pharmacist does no more than order and supply, is at the very least disheartening. These healthcare professionals are equipped with the clinical knowledge to deliver crucial information of medication safely and preclude potential patient harm. Underpinning the significance of their role, was the resounding protest reflected in the flood of petitions signed by the public. The Department of Health received 30,000 objections a day in the campaign to "Support your Local Pharmacy".

Many still believe pharmacies to be part of the fabric of quality frontline health service and yet there are those that enter the arena, and  question with obvious irritation, what pharmacists even do. In this era with the precarious economic and political climate, it is easy to discredit our most valued fields. Pharmacy like medicine, had always been the forefront of care, but with recent cuts, and reaffirmed devaluation, it has began to seem less so.

As a pharmacy student, and a passionate one at that, I feel it is my duty, to put these preconceptions to straits. Its surprises me even more, that pharmacy students themselves, feel so influenced by current held beliefs, that they too  begin to believe that there is nothing more to pharmacy than dispensing. Once again, this horrifies me, nothing could be further from the truth.

Pharmacy is a field with much to offer and that is besides the stable and yet very honourable positions at both community and hospital settings. Aside from the most well known, there are other opportunities that stem from being a pharmacy specialist. Such settings include positions in teaching, regulation , research, public health, military, prison, publishing, GP, hospices, and independent prescribing.

In aid of this, below I have made a brief introduction to some of the the main pharmacy settings:

Regulatory pharmacy-MHRA/GPhC safeguard public health, committed to maintaining an excellent track record for safe delivery of services and care. The GPhC is a regulator of the pharmacy profession,  whilst The MHRA  is a regulator of medicines and  devices, ensuring safety  before they are  marketed to the public.

Veterinary pharmacy-Here pharmacists provide  a valuable contribution to animal welfare supporting pet owners and  farmers in rural settings branching out into roles in  teaching, industry or a government body such as the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

Pharmacist in the military- Army Medical Services (AMS) offer  rewarding challenging roles, recognised  first-class training with pharmacists employed in support of the Royal Navy (RN) or Royal Air Force (RAF). The overarching  role is that of  medical supply distribution, provision of pharmaceutical care and advising the commanding officer.

Pharmacists in academia-From drug design through to the provision of pharmacy services, there is a diverse range of areas of research to embark upon. Both a rewarding and satisfying field, finds many continue to explore careers in  teaching, industry or clinical practice.

Pharmacists in industry- Pharmacists here witness and play a role in the development of cutting edge technologies, medicines and strategies for safe and quality care. This encompasses a critical quality checking processes; where pharmacists are essential in auditing a range of criteria to ensure viability of medicines on the market.

Pharmacists in community-  Here pharmacists aid the public by offering patient tailored advice for lifestyle change and management of a broad range of conditions. Many undertake clinical roles including management of asthma and diabetes as well as blood pressure testing.

Pharmacists in Hospital- Here pharmacists play a vital role in  a interdisciplinary team focusing on pharmacovigilance, vital  in monitoring patient outcomes, attend regular ward rounds ,more involved in selecting treatments , manufacturing of sterile medicines, providing  medicine information and managing the medicine procurement for the whole hospital.

Pharmacists in Primary care-  Here pharmacists are fundamental in the management of medicines, carrying out a  strategic role, to optimise benefit and minimise risk of medicines, with a focus on prevention rather than cure. They run medication review clinics, maintain close working relationships with GPs  as well as playing a significant  role in Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) improving quality and access of services for patients.

Pharmacists in GP –Here pharmacists have a role in streamlining practice processes, medicines optimisation, minor ailments, and long term condition management. More recently a funding boost from NHS England, means by 2020, over 1500 pharmacy positions may open in GP surgeries. This advancement was further supported by the royal college of general practitioners who declared this  “as perhaps the most significant piece of news for our profession since 1960s”.

Pharmacists in Publishing-  The leaders in pharmacy publishing,  pharmaceutical press have a role in  establishing authoritative, independent guidance on  management of  a range of conditions, best practice measures with clinically validated drug information. Here pharmacists utilising the latest resources produce drug monographs encompassing  specialist information on uses, cautions, contra-indications, side-effects, doses as well as guidance on prescribing monitoring, dispensing and administering medicines. With a range of publications  seeing regular update, pharmacists are the forefront establishing guidance for both existing and newly licensed drugs.

As a final point, there is no question that the current era is that of austerity . We find ourselves in a time, when value is not to be assumed but proven, and it is a time like no other, to take a stand and revolutionise what is fast becoming a discredited profession. We owe it to our patients, to work harder than ever before, to break through the limiting supermarket service model, forever a contender for cutting government cost but simultaneously undermining the pharmacy role. The attitude of marginalising pharmacists in the clinical role is becoming more and more atavistic.And with dedicated advocates we can feel secure in the knowledge that as surely as the apothecary, this challenge is soon to become a thing of the past.