Amandeep Doll
Director for England, Royal Pharmaceutical Society
To realise the benefits of medicines and the life sciences sector as outlined in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan to boost uptake of innovative treatments, pharmacy leadership must be embedded throughout the NHS.
Medicines are a vital part of patient care and the most common clinical intervention in the health service. As experts in medicines, pharmacists will be central to tackling health inequalities, managing the rising cost of long-term conditions and delivering best value from the almost £20 billion medicines budget.
Bigger role for UK pharmacists
From 2026, all new pharmacists will qualify as prescribers, able to play an increasingly clinical role in the NHS. Pharmacists will also be key to realising the 10-Year Health Plan’s ambition on new technologies, such as pharmacogenomics and personalised medicines, plus reducing the risk of avoidable hospital admissions from adverse drug reactions.
There is a growing debate around how the UK competes for investment and innovation within a global medicines market. Pharmacists are an essential part of our life sciences ecosystem, not only supporting clinical trials and research but playing a strategic role in commissioning and supporting patient access to new treatments. Amid growing pressure for the UK to spend more on medicines, pharmacists will be vital to making the most of that investment, for patients and the health system.
Pharmacists are an essential part of our life sciences ecosystem,
Investing wisely in medicines
While the NHS is facing significant reforms and financial cuts, there have been some encouraging discussions at a national level about the importance of pharmacy leadership. At the same time, it remains to be seen how national guidance will be interpreted locally. There is also a question of whether there will be sufficient clinical and professional oversight of local NHS plans, or whether the scale of cuts means these will be sacrificed to financial pressures.
How local health systems plan their investment in medicines, including recommended new innovations, will be a key part of improving access and uptake, tackling unwarranted variation and enhancing patient safety and outcomes. As the NHS moves towards greater provider collaboration and localised decision-making, pharmacists and pharmacy teams must be involved from the outset to maximise the value of medicines.
