PRESS RELEASE : Next three year plan launched to transform pharmacy in Wales [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 27 October 2022.

Updated goals for the pharmacy profession have been published today, as the transformation of pharmaceutical care in Wales continues.

The Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee’s vision for pharmacy, Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales, was first published in 2019. Developed by the pharmacy profession, the 10-year plan aims to provide a clear direction for pharmacy professionals in every part of the NHS, focusing on meeting patients’ and the NHS’s needs now and in the future.

The new goals refresh expectations of what the pharmacy profession can achieve in the three years to December 2025, including:

• undertaking a comprehensive review of how the skills and expertise of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can be more effectively used to support hospital patients
• reviewing how automation, electronic prescribing and pharmacogenomics can help transform the way pharmacy professionals deliver care
• exploring how supporting research and development in pharmacy practice can provide a platform for further innovation in the delivery of pharmaceutical care.

Eluned Morgan, the Minister for Health and Social Services, welcomed the new goals, saying:

Earlier this year we introduced the most significant reform of the way community pharmacies provide services since the NHS was created more than 70 years ago.

A great deal has already been achieved towards our vision, with community pharmacy teams now consistently using their expertise to support patients and our health and care services.

As the pharmacy profession embarks on the next phase of its journey, I am looking forward to seeing how the role of pharmacy professionals in other sectors can be transformed to achieve even more in the coming years.

Andrew Evans, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Wales, said:

Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales provided a clear direction for the development of pharmaceutical care in Wales.  The transformation of the role of community pharmacies has helped us meet the unprecedented challenges we face as a result of the last two years.

Good progress has been made in delivering our aspirations in all sectors of pharmacy practice. The refreshed goals provide the basis for supporting and developing the role of pharmacy professionals who work in our hospitals and in community care, to ensure they can continue to meet the changing needs of patients and are empowered to respond to the challenges faced by the NHS.

Our ambitious new goals build on the work we are already doing to implement ePrescribing in secondary and primary care, increasing the use of digital technology and pharmacogenomics. We also want to ensure the profession meets its obligations to be more socially responsible, tackling inequalities in health, supporting environmental sustainability and promoting the use of the Welsh language.

Elen Jones, Director of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Wales, said:

The 2025 goals continue to drive our aspirations for pharmacy in Wales, breaking down boundaries between care settings and developing the workforce to ensure patients benefit from the expertise of the pharmacy team wherever and whenever they need it.

The RPS has been proud to be a part of these developments. Putting plans into action across Wales is the next important step and we look forward to working with colleagues in supporting this important agenda over the next three years and beyond.

Jonathan Simms, Chair of the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee, said:

Today marks an important step in our journey towards our 2030 vision for pharmacy in Wales.  The goals set the ambition of how pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and our support staff, across all care settings, will enhance patient care and improve medicine optimisation for the citizens of Wales.

So much has been achieved since the publication of Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales, particularly through the pandemic where teams needed to adapt to maintain vital services to patients.  The new goals recognise the challenges that the workforce currently face as we recover from the pandemic. With this comes opportunities to deliver new roles, embed new skills and drive the use of technology to make Wales a vibrant place to work whilst delivering excellent pharmaceutical care.