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GP and Pharmacist Guides Launched
PSNC, the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) of the British Medical Association and NHS Employers have today launched two new guides designed to support community pharmacists and GPs in developing more effective working relationships.
The guides, ‘The GP practice – a guide for community pharmacists and pharmacy staff’ and ‘The community pharmacy – a guide for General Practitioners and practice staff,’ cover information about each professions’ respective disciplines to enable increased understanding and improve primary care services for the patient.
The guides include information on:
- funding arrangements;
- the Quality and Outcomes (QOF) framework;
- prescribing policies; and
- the range of clinical and administrative functions that practices and community pharmacies provide.
The guides were produced by the professional relationships working group that was set up following the Pharmacy White Paper to improve professional relationships between GPs and community pharmacists, to benefit patients.
Felicity Cox, lead negotiator, NHS Employers said: “In a time when the NHS is working hard to deliver efficiency savings across the service these guides provide a timely, straightforward insight to support the two medical groups to work better together. They are useful to commissioners as they help to highlight possibilities for new ways of integrated working in primary care.”
Sue Sharpe, Chief Executive Officer, PSNC said: “PSNC warmly welcomes the new GP and Community Pharmacy Guides. We have always believed that the best outcomes for NHS patients can only be achieved if all healthcare professionals collaborate and work together, and these guides will help to enhance understanding between GPs and pharmacists on the role that each profession plays in the NHS.”
Dr Richard Vautrey, Deputy Chairman of the BMA’s GPs Committee said: "Good working relationships between GPs and community pharmacists are important for patient care. We hope GPs and pharmacists will find these guides useful."
Copies of the guides can be downloaded here. The text of the guide to general practice was published in the March 2010 edition of Community Pharmacy News which was distributed to all pharmacy contractors in late March.
Posted 1 April 2010