The pharmacy profession has challenged policy makers and commissioners to champion pharmacy by asking them to sign up to five key pledges. The Community Pharmacy Manifesto, launched by Sir Kevin Barron MP, chairman of the All Party Pharmacy Group, at the House of Commons on December 3, calls on politicians to sign up to the following:

• Encourage patients to think ‘pharmacy first’, and use pharmacy to help relieve pressure on GPs and emergency departments
• Improve patient choice and healthcare by making it easier to commission pharmacy services and backing more national services
• Help improve the public’s health, recognising the accessibility and support that pharmacy can provide
• Enable patients, particularly those with long-term conditions, to get more from their medicines through better use of community pharmacy
• Help pharmacies to get access to the records, information and support they need to provide more effective and safer care.

The manifesto was jointly published by Pharmacy Voice, PSNC and the Independent Pharmacy Federation.

Pharmacy Voice chief executive Rob Darracott explained why the time was right for a sector-wide approach: “As the general election approaches, we believe that the role and value of community pharmacy needs to be raised up the political agenda. We want pharmacy teams to encourage their local MPs and parliamentary candidates to visit the pharmacy and support the five key pledges and we will be encouraging MPs and parliamentary candidates to sign up to the manifesto.”

Claire Ward, IPF chief executive, said: “I know from my own experience in Parliament that the best way to raise the profile of community pharmacy is to get MPs through the door and seeing the services provided in their own constituency to their voters. Community pharmacy has shown through this manifesto that we can work together and I am confident that this will have a real impact on grass roots pharmacy.”

PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe said: “The pledges within this manifesto should not bring any surprises – these are the things that pharmacy has been saying for some time and they are the things we are all working towards.”

The manifesto can be signed at www.pharmacymanifesto.com.