With parliament now in recess, the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPA) is urging independents with a  new MP to invite them into their pharmacies to see just how community pharmacy works.

The NPA will be working with other pharmacy bodies on political engagement in the new parliament, including PSNC who will encourage LPCs to make contact with new MPs in England.

NPA chairman, Ian Strachan, commented: “Thanks to the Support Your Local Pharmacy campaign, we reached an unprecedented level of active political support during the previous Parliament. It is no coincidence that all the main UK-wide political parties included pledges about community pharmacy in their General Election manifestos.  That level of engagement needs to be the new normal, because the politicians must now make good on the promises they have made to the electorate about supporting pharmacies.  We need to build a coalition behind a positive agenda for service development, properly funded and endorsed at the highest levels of Government.

“The contact with MPs must come locally – ideally from pharmacy owner to MP – and the relationships built constituency by constituency.  We will continue to do all we can nationally, but the local relationships are so important to a sustainable programme of political engagement.”

The NPA will give bespoke support to any pharmacist hosting an MP in their pharmacy. 

Pharmacy owners are invited to email independentsvoice@npa.co.uk for advice and free resources.