Shift of care into the community
The movement of care from secondary to primary settings has shifted the complexity of patient care from hospitals to the community. The impact of a large-scale shift is felt across many healthcare professions and the relationships linking them. The pharmacist gradually assumes a more pivotal role in the community with a focus on early interventions and outpatient services. People increasingly access pharmacies as the first point of entry into the healthcare system. Pharmacies operate a named appointment system, focusing on chronic conditions, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of minor ailments, and the number of GP appointments made for long-term conditions reduces. The complexity of some treatment regimes, e.g. chemotherapy, demands a high level of input from the community pharmacist specialist.
Proposed workforce impact
- The business model of community pharmacy shifts from the supply of medicine to the provision of holistic care.
- Increased demand for community pharmacists.
- Decreased demand for hospital pharmacists.
- Change in the skill mix for community pharmacists.
- Pharmacists act as greater decision makers in primary care.
Sources or references
- www.cfwi.org.uk%2Fresources%2Fcfwi-annual-conference-2012%2Fthe-future-nursing-workforce%2Fat_download%2Fattachment1&ei= XdjlUNb1L-fM2QXO4oDIDg&usg=AFQjCNEQ2oTEzCdcwtlE9RrnjxM1 dxUilw&cad=rja
- http://www.bmj.com/content/332/7536/253
Additional research questions
- Is this shift already happening in some areas? If so, what is the impact on pharmacists?
- How will the skill set bias towards community care be managed?
Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.
