The Welsh Government has announced a blueprint for the future of pharmaceutical services which will see automation, electronic prescribing, and pharmacogenomics rolled out to transform the way care is delivered across the country.
The Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee’s 10-year plan – Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales, was first published in 2019 and 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.
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
And, updated this week, 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, added: “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.
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
“Good progress has been made in delivering our aspirations in all sectors of pharmacy practice and 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.”
And Elen Jones, director of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Wales (RPS), 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.
“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.”
