Primary care

Making funding decisions in primary care

Rajiv Dhir is senior prescribing adviser for the Wandsworth Clinical Commissioning Group in London. He explains why working in primary care allows him to be both a practitioner and a manager.…

Advising pharmacists who are returning to practice

Pharmacists who have not practised for a while may feel daunted about the prospect of returning to work. Michelle Styles, from the Centre of Pharmacy Postgraduate Education, explains what to expect and what you can do to prepare.…

Setting up a pharmacy on GP premises: the law

Pharmacy owners may have considered locating their businesses on GP premises to increase their dispensing volume. However, they need to ensure they are acting within the law.…

English Pharmacy Board election results are announced

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has announced the results of the 2015 English Pharmacy Board election, as voter turnout marginally rose but remained low.…

How to manage staff and other pharmacy colleagues

Most pharmacy jobs will involve managing other people to some degree. Ailsa Colquhoun finds out how to get the most from those around you.…

What closer ties with GP practices will mean for pharmacists

Following proposals for pharmacists and GPs to work more closely on patient care, Stephen Robinson looks at reactions to the idea and explains what needs to happen for the vision to become reality.…

Collaborative working with GPs is the answer

Following the recent joint Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Royal College of General Practitioners statement about the benefits of pharmacists working in GP practices, I was filled with excitement and optimism. We finally have some interprofessional recognition for the value of our skills and expert…

Getting to the premier division and staying there

In her report for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) ‘Now or never: shaping pharmacy for the future’, Judith Smith depicted a profession that, despite its size and wealth, remained in the third division of healthcare professions — i.e. constantly underachieving and mo…

Three issues the RPS must push for

Ensuring our profession’s message is heard above the cacophony of national pre-general election caterwauling is going to be a huge task, especially when we already find it hard to be commissioned for services. Nevertheless, despite the election frenzy and the media’s focus on the wiff-wa…

Working in GP practices: let’s get this right

I have been following with interest recent correspondence and media activity on pharmacists working in GP practices. The communication at the launch and thereafter failed to get across the true intent of this initiative, resulting in widening divisions within the profession rather than creatin…