Visitors to the IPF stand at the Pharmacy Show contributed to a living wall depicting the way ahead for pharmacists. IPF chief executive Claire Ward explains the vision

They say a picture paints athousand words. well I am not sure if there are quite that many in the ipf living wall, but certainly there are many to describe the journey that both community pharmacy and patients need to go on to achieve healthy happiness for all.

At the Pharmacy Show this year, we asked an artist to create a living wall on the IPF stand. At 9.30 on the Sunday morning our backdrop was blank and our directions to the artist were fairly simply. We wanted her to depict a journey for patients and pharmacists that reflected the challenges they face, but also the solutions that would bring them together in harmony. We wanted people who visited our stand – contractors, employed pharmacists, locums, industry people and others – to contribute their thoughts to that brief and help to create our living wall.

By 2.30pm that day, we had the picture you see on this page. We believe that it is probably the definitive visual description of the road map that community pharmacy and their patients need to take.

The juggling act

Pharmacists have been tied to the bench for too long, weighed down by the pressures of having to deliver more for less remuneration and an NHS contractual system that reinforces the tribalism and silo working of healthcare professionals. We know that contractors are juggling reduced remuneration with ever-tighter cash flows, whilst the competition in the form of 100-hour pharmacies has caused many independents to re-evaluate their role and their future.

Patients have felt the effects of the bumpy journey too, as the change to DTP and manufacturer controls has caused stock shortages. Patients have continued to rely on pharmacy to dispense prescriptions but without universal recognition of the significant advice and support that pharmacy can provide. The growth in services needs more support.

If you follow the paths, it is clear that there are ways in which pharmacy can improve patient outcomes through better delivery of services and support in medicine use. As pharmacist and patient head towards a shining sun, it is clear that some of the solutions are deliverable by pharmacy. Pharmacy needs to work together to deliver the new services, and patients will come. There are many things that pharmacy needs to help it deliver more, such as realigned contracts with other healthcare professionals, access to patient records and remuneration that values the role community pharmacy can play in the lives of patients with long-term conditions.

Growing the campaign

Over the next few months, the IPF wants to work with other pharmacy organisations to create a growing campaign to get all political parties to commit to helping patients get better health outcomes through their local pharmacy. It needs to be a grass roots campaign, owned and supported by all of pharmacy. We need to put aside the tribalism that is rife in pharmacy politics and focus on the outcome we all want to see. We need to use the chance of the forthcoming general election to raise awareness of the value of pharmacy to politicians via pharmacies and their patients. If you want to be part of this campaign, let me know: Claire@theipf.co.uk.

Contacting the IPF: The Independent Pharmacy Federation can be reached by e-mail at claire@theipf.co.uk, or via its website at www.theipf.co.uk