NPA chairman Ian Strachan (pictured) has called for an evidence-based approach to pharmacy service development, highlighting already strong evidence for pharmacist prescribing, an urgent medication service and a common ailments scheme in particular.

Addressing the NPA Triennial Chairman’s Dinner at Apothecaries' Hall on November 23, Mr Strachan contrasted the evidence in areas such as these with the lack of evidence to support hub-and-spoke dispensing. "I don’t want us to put the future of community pharmacy at risk by worshipping at the feet of false gods like hub-and-spoke," he said. "It would dislocate the current model that ensures face-to-face contact with patients." Adopting this type of model should remain a decision for individual businesses.

Community pharmacy could help solve many of the NHS's current difficulties, said Mr Strachan, and while he welcomed the "escalating chorus" that recognised pharmacy's role, he warned of the need for investment. "We are the solution. I want to shout about community pharmacy’s contribution and it’s unexploited value. Quality and productivity can’t be achieved through cuts. We need to invest in services that have the capacity to improve care."

Community pharmacy was the most efficient part of the NHS, acting as a stabilising asset for communities with its billions of pounds invested in the healthcare estate. Pharmacy saw 1.6 million people every day, making it unmatched in the healthcare system.

Mr Strachan highlighted the strengths of the independent sector. "How do you put a price on helping people when you’re an independent? One of the biggest questions that people ask me is, what is an independent? I’ve got four pharmacies – do I become a multiple when I get six, eight or 10? It’s not as simple as that. Independents know patients. They know communities. They know what works and what doesn’t. They’re anchors for communities. People trust and respect you."

Pharmacy's future lay in services, and the best place to deliver those services was from pharmacy premises. But economics did not allow contractors to separate services from supply. And dispensing was about much more than supply – it involved a multitude of elements, including procurement, reassurance, medicines adherence, reconciliation and buying, and was a cost-effective NHS service.  

Pharmacies were like snowflakes, said Mr Strachan – individually they were vulnerable, but together they could achieve great things. "Be confident, be bold and be brave, that’s my message to NPA members. What we see as routine, we don’t tend to celebrate, but it’s an essential part of the health of the nation."