RPS Scotland launches 2016 manifesto

RPS Scotland has launched its 2016 manifesto ‘Right medicine - better health - fitter future’ ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in May. 

RPS Scotland has launched its 2016 manifesto “Right medicine - better health - fitter future” ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in May. In the image, members of the RPS and RPS Scotland show the manifesto

At the Scottish Pharmacy Board meeting on 20 January 2016, RPS Scotland launched its 2016 manifesto ‘Right medicine – better health – fitter future’. The document, which was released in anticipation of the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2016, recognises the need for the expertise of pharmacists in managing long-term conditions and urges MPs to “resource and empower pharmacists to enable them to provide more patient care”.

The manifesto outlines four key areas to help build on the role pharmacists have in the multidisciplinary healthcare team. These include the integration of pharmacists into emerging health hubs; positioning pharmacists at the point of admission to hospital; integrating a dedicated pharmacist role into care homes and implementing the outcomes of the recent out-of-hours report on the future contribution of community pharmacy.

Other recommendations include giving community pharmacists access to patient records when consent is given, enabling greater access to electronic prescribing and making greater use of the skills of pharmacist independent prescribers.

Speaking at the launch, John McAnaw, chair of the RPS Scottish Pharmacy Board, said he was “delighted” to be releasing the 2016 manifesto.

“We hope that the candidates [in the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections] will come and engage with pharmacy, find out more about what we’re doing and the great things that we’re championing within our manifesto,” he says, “Hopefully they share the same view and passion that we have about what pharmacy can do.”

“Scotland needs to fully utilise the expertise of pharmacists to ensure people get the most out of their medicines. Pharmacists work hard every day to support the public and we believe they should be freed up to do what they do best,” he adds.

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Citation
The Pharmaceutical Journal, RPS Scotland launches 2016 manifesto;Online:DOI:10.1211/PJ.2016.20200535

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