NHS: Community Pharmacies

Baroness Pitkeathley Excerpts
Tuesday 6th December 2016

(7 years, 5 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Prior of Brampton Portrait Lord Prior of Brampton
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My Lords, I do not recognise the figure of 7.4%. The actual reduction is 4% next year and 3.4% the following year. I echo my noble friend’s comments and recognise the huge importance of community pharmacy. If we look forward 10 years, we will see a much greater role for community pharmacy within the NHS in supplying many of the services that are currently supplied by more conventional NHS services.

Baroness Pitkeathley Portrait Baroness Pitkeathley (Lab)
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My Lords, the Minister mentioned clinical skills. Does he agree that in rural areas in particular, community pharmacies play a role much wider than their clinical function in giving advice, information and sign-posting to patients and their families? Does he agree that that is a very important part of their function that should continue?