Health support frameworks have traditionally been designed around patient pathways for specific illnesses, for example, cardiac or respiratory disease. Scottish Government(SG) recognise that the NHS needs to change to be fit for the future and now intend to design healthcare for health prevention, early intervention and maximum access for people, across health conditions.
In their recent consultation, SG ask what should be priority for policy changes within healthcare for long term conditions, what is working well and what could be done better. SG set policies which each NHS Board have responsibility to deliver.
The NPA response highlighted the significant role community pharmacy currently has with supporting people to manage their long term conditions to improve outcomes for the patient and the NHS.
We also included examples of innovative community pharmacy practice across the UK and beyond with the potential to expand community pharmacy contribution to NHS long term condition support.
We explained the high trust the public have in community pharmacists as regulated health professionals, with expertise across the pharmacy team in providing holistic pharmaceutical care from pharmacies with increased access in areas of health inequity.
