NEW POSITIONS


PRACTICE-BASED PHARMACISTS A WIN-WIN FOR PHARMACY


NOW THAT THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR PRACTICE-BASED PHARMACISTS (PBPS) IS UNDERWAY, PIF LOOKS AT THE BENEFITS THESE NEWLY-CREATED POSITIONS WILL BRING TO COMMUNITY PHARMACY.


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ince the former Health Minister, Simon Hamilton, announced a five-year initiative to support the work of practice based pharmacists in GP practices throughout Northern Ireland, there has been an air of excitement tinged with a little concern among community pharmacists, with many wondering what effect this project will have on community pharmacy. However, Glynis McMurtry, Pharmacist Co-ordinator for GP Federations, firmly believes that there is no cause for concern.


‘The presence of PBPs in GP practices means that the community pharmacist will have a ‘link person’, based in the surgery and this will provide the opportunity to develop a two-way relationship with a fellow professional,’ Glynis told PiF.


‘The benefits are numerous. Having a pharmacist work as an integral part of the practice team will allow GPs to spend more time with patients


16 - PHARMACY IN FOCUS


and improve patient outcomes. The PBP will help improve safety of prescribing, reduce the level of errors and waste through managing prescribing systems, medicine review and reconciliation. The work of the practice pharmacist will also ensure greater uniformity of prescribing across NI through improving compliance with the NI Formulary. All of these approaches can help reduce prescribing costs.


‘The relationship between the PBP and the community pharmacy will be a synergistic one and communication between the two will be very important. The PBP will have an insight into the impact of prescribing changes on community pharmacy and will be able to ensure that local community pharmacists are involved in the implementation process.


‘Equally, the community pharmacist may pick up on issues with a patient’s medication and can link with the PBP to ensure the issues are considered.


‘Patient support will definitely be enhanced. We know the value of repeating and reinforcing information regarding medicines use. In particular, when medicines are changed following a review, it is important that all of the healthcare professionals that are involved in explaining the changes to patients give a consistent message and advice. With regular communication between the PBP and community pharmacists, this will be much easier to achieve.’


The recruitment process for PBPs has been taking place over the last few months and the first appointments are expected in September. The implementation of the PBP project will be phased, with around 46 whole time equivalent pharmacists being appointed in the first stage.


The investment will boost capacity in primary care, endeavouring to ensure that people obtain the best possible health outcomes from their medicines.


Glynis feels that those appointed will be faced with an innovative challenge.


‘The great thing about these new roles,’ she continues, ‘is that they will develop with time. Some GP practices already benefit from the work of a practice pharmacist and those pharmacists will continue to broaden their competencies and demonstrate new ways in which they can optimise medicine use. However, there will also be scope for less experienced PBPs to use their current skills and at the same time, learn from their more experienced colleagues.


‘There’s no doubt that practice pharmacists have a valuable role to play,’ says Glynis. ‘This approach allows the GP to utilise their skills – to allow them to do what they do best – and allows the pharmacist to do what they do best.


‘There’s no doubt that efficiency will be generated by the work that they will be carrying out. Whatever way you look at it, it’s a win-win situation for pharmacists.’


One person, who can definitely vouch for the success of the PBP system is Sean McGeown, who has been the practice-based pharmacist at the Vere Foster GP surgeries for almost eight years. Sean has seen at first hand how much value the presence of a PBP in a GP surgery can bring.


‘I think community pharmacists will really relish the idea of having a PBP


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