Following the release earlier this week of an outline service specification for the New Medicine Service, Pharmacy Voice says coordinated preparations should begin immediately, so that pharmacies can deliver effectively from the 1 October start date.
Pharmacy Voice chief executive, Rob Darracott, said: “This service is of huge strategic significance to our sector – the effective use of medicines by patients starts when they first get them, and the research on which the new medicines service is based tells us that, through appropriate and timely follow up at initiation of treatment, pharmacists can deal with patient concerns and questions in a way which makes it more likely the medicines will be used effectively.
“But we have to get it right, from the word go, because there is so much riding on this. This is not simply another ‘new service’. It needs to be deeply embedded as a key element of the service. Between now and October, pharmacists and their teams need to be fully engaged, enthused and equipped. That is no small task. NHS Employers intend to lead an implementation programme, but we suggest they must immediately begin to work with those organisations that are already well placed to of give practical support to owners, contractors and practitioners. And, of course, we will help in any way we can.”
NHS Employers and PSNC released information about the New Medicine Service on Tuesday, along with a summary of changes to clinical governance requirements and Medicines Use Reviews.
Mike Holden, chief executive of the NPA, which is a member of Pharmacy Voice, said:
“We are working as always to influence this strategic implementation. On a practical level we believe that the NPA is well placed to support the effective implementation of this service and will work collaboratively with others to ensure this happens. We will be holding a workshop on the New Medicine Service at our conference on 22 May, which is free to members, and work is well underway on making practical resources available as soon as possible. Our members expect us to support them when they are delivering services for patients on the front line - we won’t let them down.”