National Forum for Scotland

With an agenda created by a steering group of pharmacists in Scotland, this event is always relevant to practice, demonstrated by the high attendance and positive feedback. 

We are delighted that the keynote address will again be given by Professor Rose Marie Parr, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, who will reflect on Achieving Excellence in Pharmaceutical Care - One Year On. The strategy aims to transform the role of pharmacy across all areas of pharmacy practice, increase capacity, and offer the best person-centred care. It sets out the priorities, commitments and actions for improving and integrating pharmacy and pharmacy services in Scotland. A year to the day since Professor Parr addressed last year's Forum, what has changed? Are we on target? 

Gordon Rushworth will be speaking on Progressing clinical and diagnostic skills.

Since the late 80s / early 90s, the pharmacy profession has undertaken a whole-system-shift in practice away from traditional pharmaceutical roles towards delivering patient-centred clinical pharmaceutical care services. Over the years the profession has adapted to this way of working and now the role of a pharmacist as a clinical expert in medicines, focusing on ensuring the safe and efficacious use of medication, is well established and understood.

However, a lot has changed in the (near) 3 decades since Hepler and Strand published their seminal work: the advent of pharmacist prescribing, and latterly the almost exclusive use of independent prescribing has required pharmacists to look beyond our traditional skill sets to ensure we can deliver a contemporary pharmaceutical care fit for purpose in an efficient, modern, multiprofessional NHS team.

With the publication of Scottish Government policy supporting general practice clinical pharmacists in the development of advanced clinical skills, we now find ourselves asking:  “What are these?” -  “How can I develop clinical and diagnostic skills?” and “How can I learn to use them safely and competently?”.

This address outlines the necessity for the use of clinical and diagnostic skills for a modern autonomous pharmacist practitioner.

Alex MacKinnon, RPS Director for Scotland, will conclude the plenary session by describing RPS Forward Plans for supporting Pharmacists in Scotland.