Inclusive and integrated — opportunity beckons

As the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) enters its latest elections and moves to become a royal college, pharmacists continue to expand their horizons, and we continue to see new and emerging roles. However, I am very concerned at the continuing theme that some current roles — particularly that of community pharmacists — are not seen as having the same status or importance. We belong to the third-largest profession but this continuous attempt to differentiate between sectors weakens that integrated size and instead leads to the ongoing perception that pharmacy is a small profession. In fact, whenever I talk to other health and care professionals, as well as commissioners and policymakers, many of them find the fact that we are the third-largest profession a revelation. If we are to see a better integrated profession, we need to recognise that all pharmacists are scientific clinicians who operate in a multitude of settings. This ensures we are seen as operating in a continuum of care rather than as a series of professional silos.

The RPS has been very effective in creating an environment for developing roles and now needs to ensure they are integrated and valued by the public as much as the commissioners and policymakers. There is a need to recognise the reforms that are currently flowing through the hospital and community settings and to ensure these large parts of the profession are not lost in the stampede. Change is always welcome when it recognises the professional expertise but must not be change for changes sake. It must be there to recognise that wherever there is a medicine, there should be a pharmacist. The next phase of development will enable all pharmacists to be prescribers with responsibility for managing care and the ability to seek advice from the expertise of others to support and develop their decision-making. The Royal College of Pharmacy must enable this continuum of expertise within the profession and beyond and ensure support staff are properly engaged in enabling everyone to operate at the highest level of competency and that this is visible to the public we all serve.

If I am elected, I will continue to strive for recognition of all pharmacists as having an expertise in medicines that complements the skills of other clinicians with equality of standing and consistently valued by the public.

Ashok Soni

Candidate for the National Pharmacy Advisory Council for England