Greater role for pharmacists suggested in early diagnosis of cancer

Community pharmacy developments will have the most significant impact on primary care over the next decade, according to Richard Parish, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health and chairman of the Pharmacy and Public Health Forum.

Speaking at a media seminar on better medicines use and improved health outcomes, held at The Royal Society today (17 January 2013) ahead of tonight?s annual UCL School of Pharmacy New Year lecture, Professor Parish listed a host of factors that make community pharmacies so important. These include their accessibility, opening hours and familiarity, as well as the availability of highly-trained staff.

"Clearly [pharmacies] can become a major, perhaps the most significant, local centre for health improvements and wellbeing. They have a key role to play," he said.

He praised the wide range of services community pharmacies already offer and suggested they have a greater role to play in the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

"We do have evidence to suggest that one of the reasons that we don?t do as well as the rest of Europe in terms of our cancer survival rates is the delay between early symptoms . . . and effective treatment." Pharmacists could refer patients with cancer symptoms directly for diagnostic testing, and thus reduce this delay, he said.

Further pilot studies are needed to assess patient outcomes and the cost-effectiveness of this approach, added Professor Parish. "The potential for pharmacists to fulfil a more comprehensive role [in cancer care], working alongside GPs and other primary care colleagues, seems to be absolutely phenomenal ? and it?s an unexplored potential."

Chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee Sue Sharpe, who will be delivering the New Year lecture, said that good progress has been made in recent years with pharmacy services, including the advent of targeted medicines use reviews, the new medicine service and the healthy living pharmacy concept.

However, because of factors such as changes in Government priorities, the contractual framework has not progressed at the sort of pace it needs to.

"We?ve made a start . . . but I would say not enough and not quickly enough, and we really need to get the momentum," she said.

Unless pharmacy is utilised and developed in areas that can reduce the burden on general practice, such as supporting healthy living, treating minor ailments and focusing on medicines optimisation, then the NHS is facing a real crisis of affordability, she said.

Mrs Sharpe?s lecture, entitled "From making medicines to optimising health ? pharmacists in the 21st century", is due to be delivered this evening at The Royal Society.

Source: http://feeds.pjonline.com/~r/pjonline/news/~3/GM-vQoW3wkM/greater_role_for_pharmacists_suggested_in_early_diagnosis_of_cancer

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