UK pharmacist consultation
July 26, 2010
PHARMACISTS in the United
Kingdom are being asked to
“shape their own future” in a
consultation by the Royal
Pharmaceutical Society of Great
Britain on ‘supervision’ regulations.
In the UK, current pharmacy
supervision rules govern how
pharmacies are overseen by
pharmacists, and aim to guarantee
the “universal availability of
professional advice from a
pharmacist in a community
pharmacy,” which the RPSGB says
is “one of the unique benefits that
pharmacy offers the public”.
Sweeping health system reforms
are under way in the UK, and the
English Pharmacy Board says it’s
hoping to develop a consensus on
the future of supervision before it
becomes an issue.
Core principles outlined by the
Pharmacy Board include that
patients have a right to access
medicines along with quality
pharmaceutical services.
Patients should have their
medicines supply overseen by a
pharmacist and they should have a
right to counselling about their
medicines, and patients also have a
right to expect that a pharmacist
will perform a professional check
on every prescription dispensed.
Other principles are that any
change to supervision should not
lead to an increase in risk, and any
changes in workload must be at an
acceptable level for the profession.
The Board also suggested that a
pharmacist only be responsible for
one pharmacy at a time.
A program of activity has now
commenced to engage UK
pharmacists in debate about the
future of supervision.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 26 Jul 10To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 26 Jul 10
