PARTNERSHIP
thE ExcEllEnt WorK DonE bY commUnItY pharmacY thanKS to thE bUIlDIng thE commUnItY-pharmacY partnErShIp (bcpp) programmE haS bEEn rEflEctED In thEIr rEcEntlY- laUnchED Impact rEport…
community initiatives continue to make major impact
f
or nearly 20 years now, the community Development and health network (cDhn) has been
proactive in making positive changes to patients’ health and wellbeing through community pharmacy-run initiatives such as bcpp.
for that reason, the statistics provided in the bcpp Impact report will make for welcome reading for the organisation, with 81 per cent of participants in the surveys declaring that they felt more in control of their health through the bcpp projects and 93 per cent of pharmacists agreeing that the projects help them to make better use of their skills.
‘there are hundreds of bcpp projects,’ Kathy martin, Strategic Impact manager at cDhn, said at the report’s launch, ‘each with individual stories of change at a local level. the Impact report gives us an opportunity to collate and aggregate our evaluation data and demonstrate the impact that bcpp has at a population level.
‘the Impact report clearly shows that bcpp can indirectly and over the longer term have a positive impact on health and wellbeing through participants becoming more knowledgeable about and confident in taking action on factors which
12 - pharmacY In focUS
impact their health. this action seeks to go further than lifestyle changes by looking at wider factors that impact health such as housing, isolation and poverty. the data also shows improvements in participants’, pharmacists’ and community organisations’ confidence and ability to address factors which are influencing their health.
‘Improving knowledge, confidence and understanding of the factors which influence health and changing the way in which people (public and professionals) communicate health messages and concerns leads to improvements in health literacy.’
bEnEfItS for pharmacY In addition to the benefits for participants, the Impact report clearly highlights that taking part in a bcpp project also positively changes the way in which participants and community organisations view and use pharmacy.
‘there’s no doubt that bcpp projects have changed participants’ views of and how they use pharmacy,’ Kathy continued, ‘not only in terms of their relationships with pharmacists, but also in their understanding of the purpose of pharmacy.
‘community partners have also changed their view of pharmacy and
Pictured at the launch of the BCPP Impact Report are (l-r): Michael Cooper, Coopers Pharmacy; Fionnuala McCaughley, West Belfast Parkinsons Group; Kathy Martin, BCPP; Jude Austin, CPNI; Tracy McAlorum HSCB and Kathryn Turner, HSCB.
how they use it. bcpp seeks to build relationships between individuals and pharmacy but another key element is how the community partners and pharmacy build relationships with each other. It is hoped that through the development of strong relationships between pharmacy and the community and voluntary sector there will better signposting and support within communities.
'our Impact report examines the changes in pharmacy as a result of being involved with the bcpp programme. It is hoped that by being part of a bcpp project, pharmacists will become more knowledgeable about the needs within their communities and grow in confidence in taking action to address these.’
fUnDIng the Impact report shows that people living in disadvantaged areas are most likely to experience the poorest health outcomes in society so it is not surprising to find that bcpp funding is weighted towards projects in more deprived areas. the allocation of grants takes into consideration level of deprivation, with funding following the socio-economic gradient, ie, more funding is allocated to areas of disadvantage and, as disadvantage reduces, so does the allocation of funding.
Indeed, the report indicates that 71 per cent of bcpp funding currently goes to 20 per cent of the most deprived areas.
‘a key element to improving health and reducing inequality is connecting and engaging communities and improving the accessibility of services and supports,’ Kathy concludes. ‘this is especially relevant when working with those living in disadvantaged areas. the data from bcpp evidences better relationships between pharmacy and communities, increased participation and engagement, and shows community organisations and pharmacy have or will change the way they engage with each other and with the community. they are becoming more actively involved in taking action to improve health and wellbeing in the community.
‘at project level it is evident that participants perceived the pharmacist and community partner to have planned and delivered the projects to a high standard.’
michael cooper from cooper’s pharmacy, who hosted the launch of the Impact report, has himself recently been awarded a bcpp grant to work in partnership with the West belfast parkinson’s group, represented by fionnaula mccaughley.
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