Pharmacy Voice has responded to new NHS Information Centre statistics which show that the number of medicines given out on prescription has jumped almost 70% in the last decade.
Ian Facer, chairman of Pharmacy Voice said:
“Pharmacies are handling more scripts than ever before – and fulfil a vital function in doing so. But merely keeping up with demand is not nearly enough to sustain our sector into the future. Something fundamental has to change culturally and in the contractual framework to get pharmacists off this script treadmill and into the arena of value-adding optimisation. This transformation must be done in a way that engages the profession, indeed the whole pharmacy team, and protects front line services. When pharmacy reaches a position where we truly own the medicines care pathway, a central tenet of Pharmacy Voice’s blueprint for better health will have been achieved.”
The NHSIC statistics show that in 2010, 927 million prescription items were dispensed in England, up 4.6% on 2009 and 68% on 2000. For every person in England, an average of 17.8 prescription items were dispensed, compared to 17.1 in 2009 and 11.2 in 2000. High blood pressure and heart failure accounted for a high number of prescriptions, while drugs to treat diabetes were among the most costly.