Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst MP has been focusing on the role of pharmacies to improve healthcare for residents in Solihull West and Shirley.
Neil recently met with representatives of Community Pharmacy England in Parliament. The discussion focused on the range of services that can be provided by pharmacies. These include Pharmacy First which more than 96% of the sector has signed up to. Community Pharmacy England also raised with Neil the financial and medicine supply pressures that pharmacies are routinely facing.
Following this meeting, Neil met with Mr Dalton of Dalton’s Pharmacy in Dickens Heath to hear about the opportunities and challenges from the perspective of a local pharmacy owner.
Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst MP said:
Pharmacies play a huge role in supporting the health of the nation. In addition to dispensing prescriptions, pharmacies are accessible healthcare centres that can support the NHS with delivering preventative and clinical services.
Having an effective pharmacy strategy can save millions of GP appointments. Pharmacy First is a positive step, not only taking pressure off GPs, but also helping pharmacies with funding pressures. What is now required is a more effective marketing of Pharmacy First to drive up both walk-ins and referrals to this essential service.
The costs that pharmacies are having to face are a significant concern. With one-in-six pharmacy owners saying they are unsure if their pharmacy will survive the year. This needs to be addressed, and reviewing dispensing costs would help ease the financial burden.
