I read The Pharmaceutical Journal’s article on the relative demise of structured medication reviews with a mixture of resignation and frustration (‘Less is more: the struggle to prioritise structured medication reviews‘, 25 July 2024).
Resignation because if clinical activity is not prioritised and appropriately supported and resourced, it will inevitably wither on the vine.
Frustration because the answer is hiding in plain sight: the obvious solution is to commission the service from appropriately trained and accredited community pharmacists. We know everything about the social circumstances of our patients. All we need is access to the appropriate clinical information and some enlightened commissioning.
Our multi-award winning pharmacy is set up precisely to deliver enhanced clinical services. We have a dedicated team, including a highly experienced independent prescriber who is also the integrated care board lead. Moreover, we are one of the NHS pathfinder sites.
Yet, despite all of the above, nothing meaningful is progressing because — we are told — NHS IT is not ready.
Given everything in The Pharmaceutical Journal‘s well-considered article, does that make sense as an explanation or is it merely an excuse for lack of commitment and paucity of vision?
We stand ready to deliver. The question is: is the NHS ready to receive?
Graham Phillips FRPharmS, Letchworth Pharmacy, Hertfordshire
