NHS England should implement an ARRS-equivalent scheme for community pharmacy to help address the sector’s workforce shortages, according to a new report entitled Collaborating to Deliver Medicines Optimisation Opportunities by health think tank Public Policy Projects (PPP).

“Decision making around the current ARRS deployment should include community pharmacy and investigate placing roles in community pharmacy instead of GP practices,” the report says. 

Substantial numbers of vacancies, “pressure” from ARRS and competition across sectors for the same staff are contributing to significant workforce pressures in pharmacy, says PPP. 

“These hinder the ability for pharmacists to effectively collaborate within their profession as well as with other healthcare professionals and industry to deliver on key system priorities.”

“Community pharmacy leadership should not have to challenge ARRS roles. Decisions should be based on good outcomes – it is sad that sector specific funding needs challenging,” was one of the comments made at a round-table event held to draw up the report’s recommendations.

Integrated care boards should also work closely with professional bodies and regulators to ensure career progression structures and contractual arrangements allow pharmacists to undertake roles that facilitate cross-sector working, says PPP. 

“The current workforce mainly operates in silos between community pharmacy, general practice and hospital pharmacy. Promoting greater cross-sector collaboration will reduce the competition for skilled pharmacists across sectors.”

“There has never been a clear funding pathway to employ cross-sector pre-reg [trainees] and pharmacy students in the system. It is a major challenge as a profession to socialise these things [when] they should be completely normal,” was another round-table comment highlighted in the report.

Infrastructure similar to the medical deanery model should be implemented to enable joint posts and support for pharmacists’ professional development throughout the entirety of their careers, PPP suggests.

Among the report’s other recommendations are that NHS England should mandate ICBs to appoint a chief pharmacist or similar senior leader. Integrated care boards should also appoint pharmacy leadership at place and neighbourhood levels “to ensure communication that drives the alignment of system priorities with local population health needs”. 

NHS England should implement medicines policies and contractual frameworks that prioritise patient outcomes over cost savings and, specifically, should provide greater support for collaboration between community pharmacy and the acute sector to ensure the Discharge Medicines Service (DMS) is fully optimised, the report says.

Yousaf Ahmad, ICB chief pharmacist, NHS Frimley, who chaired the round-table, said: “As we navigate the complexities of integrated care delivery, this report highlights a significant opportunity for pharmacy to contribute in a more meaningful way. Through more effective collaboration to deliver medicines optimisation, pharmacy has the potential to drive positive patient outcomes and produce value-based efficiencies.”  

The round-table was sponsored by Spirit Health and supported by the NPA as part of its contribution to PPP’s Medicines and Pharmacy programme.