The National Pharmacy Association has published a report of a high-level roundtable meeting on health inequalities – and called on the Government and NHS to support pharmacy-based public health services in line with the aspirations of the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
‘Our Mission to Tackle Health Inequalities’ follows a meeting held in April and chaired by Professor Maggie Rae, former President of the Faculty of Public Health. It is both a commitment by community pharmacy to help tackle health inequalities and an appeal for targeted investment by the Government and local commissioners.
Among the recommendations of the report are:
Pharmacy can no longer be seen only as a dispenser of medicines but must be embedded in broader public health infrastructure, with a seat at the table in integrated neighbourhood teams and local authority health boards
It must be resourced and commissioned to support proactive, out-reach based, preventative work – particularly in areas of deprivation
There is a political and economic momentum towards prevention and neighbourhood care; pharmacy should align with this shift and pursue roles that tackle root causes of health inequalities – such as digital exclusion, cultural barriers and lifestyle related chronic illness.
Calling for bold action that builds on interventions we know work well, the report cites smoking quits, sexual health, vaccinations and health checks as areas for growth.
The report concludes: “Collectively, we are on a mission to tackle health inequalities, which for too long have been allowed to fester in society and failed the people who need help the most.”
NPA board member, Sanjay Ganvir, who attended the event, added:
“The more deprived an area is, the less access to health services that community has. The only part of the NHS estate that bucks this ‘inverse care law’ is community pharmacy.
“This report by the NPA sets out clear calls for action to address health inequalities. Given the Government’s stated intention to shift more attention to prevention, it’s time to move our ambitions up a gear - provided there is sufficient new investment to sustain this vital work”.
The NPA is grateful to the participants of the roundtable, for their insights, thoughtfulness and shared determination to make a difference for people in need.
