BRITAIN'S Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has opened a public consultation on producing new professional standards for community pharmacy services, with the intention that the outcome will "define best practice across the sector".
It will be the first time that such standards have been produced in the UK, with the initiative including a series of public events over the next month or so, followed by a formal written consultation period later in 2019.
The RPS last year confirmed it would spend up to 18 months consulting with community pharmacists, pharmacy staff, patients and the public in order to develop standards that are accredited by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
The Society said the standards would provide a framework to support pharmacy teams to "continually improve the care they deliver," helping create safer, more consistent services within and between providers as well as inspiring trust within the multidisciplinary health care team.
RPS spokesperson Robbie Turner said the standards would also assist in evaluating existing professional services and highlight issues and gaps in provision, helping develop new opportunities for pharmacists.
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