The Community Pharmacy Leaders Forum (CPLF) met in early November, following the establishment of two key sub-groups focused on developing a comprehensive workforce plan and a roadmap to full scope of practice.
When CPLF last met in April, they identified workforce and scope of practice as their two key priorities, after agreeing on the importance of having a clear role and limited focus as a group to ensure community pharmacy and our patients see real benefit from CPLF’s work.
Both sub-groups have held meetings and reported back to the wider CPLF group on their initial discussions and progress.
The workforce group have identified a wide range of issues to consider, including significant shortages, that extended scope needs an expanded workforce, pay parity, recruitment and retention. They have sent letters to leaders of four countries in the hope of reciprocity and are awaiting their responses.
The full scope of practice group noted there seems to be political support for increased pharmacist scope. There have been significant developments in international best practice, and the group will consider these and develop a broader framework, they are also not opposed to looking at private user-pays options.
“It’s fantastic to have these sub-groups up and running, with multiple CPLF member organisations participating in them. I have no doubt that together, we will move the sector further, faster”, says CPLF Chair, Kesh Naidoo-Rauf.
CPLF also discussed numerous key issues impacting community pharmacy, including:
- Mitigating 12-month prescription policy impacts
- NAAR 2025 and the upcoming ICPSA voluntary variation
- The Medical Products Bill and the proposed changes to pharmacy ownership, with all CPLF members supporting maintaining majority pharmacist ownership of pharmacies
- Prescription quality issues, with an update from Midland CPG on their Regional Script Audit findings
- Difficulty arranging placements for students in rural areas due to cost – CPLF agreed to talk to the Pharmacy Schools to see what funding could be available and whether the system is still fit for purpose.