May 2008

Letter to C+D Magazine by Terry Scicluna, Managing Director, UniChem Ltd

I was interested to read the recent feature in C+D (26 April), looking at the Government’s proposals for Polyclinics and the potential impact on pharmacy. Polyclinics have certainly been in the headlines recently, and in particular I read another interesting article in The Economist magazine which described them as ‘The latest new new thing’. This cynical headline would indicate that Polyclinics are widely controversial, yet the Government continues to view them as an important part of NHS reform. Is this in fact a case of change for changes sake?

A report recently published by the London School of Pharmacy, in partnership with Alliance Boots, has indicated that what the majority of NHS users actually want is to see a wider range of care provided in convenient local settings – for example their local community pharmacy. The demand from the public for accessible healthcare services in a familiar environment, where they can take full advantage of the wider knowledge and expertise of their local pharmacist is clearly there. However it seems that for whatever reason the Government just isn’t recognising this.

The British Medical Association is already strongly opposed to polyclinics from a GP perspective and it is important that the pharmacy trade bodies and the profession at large make their views heard on this subject. Offering pharmacy’s perspective on polyclinics within the Darzi review is an important part of this and UniChem and Alliance Boots are inputting into the consultation. I would also urge you to make your voices heard with Andy Murdock, Director of Pharmacy at Lloyds Pharmacy, who is the pharmacy representative on the review panel.

Rather than trying to re-invent the wheel with new facilities such as polyclinics, I would like to see the Government looking at how to best to use the resources it already has available (i.e. community pharmacies) and making steps to provide these resources with tangible support in order to benefit patient care. As the White Paper has reiterated, Pharmacy can play a fundamental role in providing patient healthcare services and after all, wasn’t this the rationale behind the pharmacy contract?

The jury is still out for some as to whether the White Paper will deliver a significant step forward for pharmacy, and I do feel that the Government needs to fully understand exactly what the profession can do for the NHS. However, the Darzi review in particular is likely to shape the long term future of the wider health service - so make sure your voice is heard!

Terry Scicluna
Managing Director, UniChem Ltd.