Morning, Wednesday, 3rd July 2024
This conference focuses on next steps for pharmacy in England and priorities for the workforce.
It is bringing stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss initial delivery of the newly launched Pharmacy First scheme, which aims to give patients faster accessible care and treatment for 7 common conditions without needing a GP.
It will be an opportunity to explore accessibility to GP records for pharmacists to support delivery, next steps for public awareness, patient safety and quality of medical advice given, and the impact it has had on managing pressures within primary care so far.
With increasing demand for pharmacy and the range of services on offer through new schemes, the agenda will bring out latest thinking on priorities for building workforce capacity, addressing workforce challenges and options for regulation to support safe care delivery with expansion of the profession. Sessions will also look at the impact of incoming changes including all newly qualified pharmacists being independent prescribers by 2026 and plans for increasing training places for technicians by 50%.
As the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-2024 comes to an end this year, it will also be opportunity to assess options for future deals, considering ways of improving and supporting service development, addressing financial challenges in pharmacy, and the future use of pharmacist skills in supporting primary care delivery.
There will also be discussion on challenges in implementing the Transforming Pharmacy Representation (TAPR) Programme, first launched in 2022, looking at driving diverse senior leadership, alongside priorities for community pharmacists in light of the greater role given to the workforce to support customers and patients with the safe dispensing of medicines as part of the Primary Care Recovery Plan, published May 2023.
Discussion will look at best practice in delivering public information, increasing public awareness of increased pharmacy prescription powers and use of proposed services, as well as opportunities for innovation and digital technology to support community pharmacy operations, and what can be learned from services similar to Pharmacy First in devolved nations.
Further sessions consider the way forward for maintaining care standards and responding to patient feedback, as well as the self-assessment framework and the future of the Pharmacy First programme for community pharmacy.
We are pleased to be able to include keynotes session with: Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services, Community Pharmacy England; Nick Kaye, Chair, National Pharmacy Association; Director, Hendra’s Pharmacy; and CEO, Community Pharmacy Cornwall; and Gisela Abbam, Chair, General Pharmaceutical Council.
