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Practice pharmacists can be central to GPs' business model, delegates at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society conference were told.

Ravi Sharma, head of primary care integration and lead GP practice pharmacist at Green Light Healthcare (pictured), explained how he drew up such a business plan with a pharmacist at the centre to illustrate their value to GPs. Pharmacists could increase GPs' business through, for example, increasing their list size, developing enhanced services, and supporting prescribing incentives, as well as make them savings through, for example, repeat prescription and medicines management.

Mr Sharma described his role for Green Light, developing a team of 24 practice pharmacists working across 24 GP practices, serving around 200,000 patients across 8 CCGs. Outcomes already achieved included prescription targets exceeded, improved chronic condition outcomes, A&E admissions cut by more than 40 per cent for asthma and COPD patients, development of mental health care plans, GP workload cut by up to 40 per cent and prescribing errors reduced by over 30 per cent. A typical day for a practice pharmacist might include managing repeat prescriptions, triaging, spirometry, diabetic foot care for children, medicines queries, work on QOF and QIPP targets, analysing lab results and running extended hours clinics.

Practice pharmacists must engage with their local community pharmacy network, said Mr Sharma. "We’ve got to move away from silo working – collaboration is absolutely essential."

As the specialism of practice pharmacy developed, career pathways would need to be developed to sustain the sector. "This is not a temporary fix."