RPS urges Labour government to heed Health Select Committee inquiry's recommendations and prioritise pharmacy

RPS highlight pharmacy service priorities post-election for the Labour government: medicine shortages, funding, and workforce planning top the agenda

In the wake of the recent general election, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is highlighting critical priorities for patients and the pharmacy sector to be addressed by the new government.

This includes tackling medicine shortages, securing fair funding for community pharmacies, and investing in hospital pharmacy services.

As the new administration makes their new cabinet appointments, RPS Chair in England, Ms. Tase Oputu, has emphasised the importance of taking measures around the key issues, stating:

"Our joint report with The King’s Fund highlighted how pharmacists across healthcare will be central to reducing health inequalities, managing the growing cost of long-term conditions, and delivering best value from medicines for patients and the NHS."

The RPS is actively engaging with newly appointed Ministers and MPs to advocate for its manifesto priorities.

These include ensuring fair funding to maintain patient access to a resilient community pharmacy network, providing students access to the learning support fund, and boosting investment in hospital and aseptic pharmacy services.

"We are urging the new government to consider the Health Select Committee Inquiry's recommendations closely," Ms. Oputu added.

She pointed to the necessity of workforce planning to ensure a sufficient pipeline of pharmacists, commissioning new pharmacist prescribing services, and investing in electronic prescribing and interoperable patient records as crucial steps forward.

Pharmacy teams and the broader healthcare workforce continue to face significant pressure.

Ms. Oputu stressed, "It is crucial that a re-energized NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan is backed by much-needed investment, alongside steps to improve retention."

The RPS also plans to collaborate with partners, patient groups, and coalitions on ongoing campaign issues such as self-care, prescription charges, women’s health, and health inequalities.

Ms. Oputu concluded, "I look forward to working with the Government on how we can support pharmacists and pharmacy teams to help build an NHS fit for the future."