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26 January 2012
Pharmacy Voice has welcomed the launch of the Public Health Outcomes Framework, which focuses on improving healthy life expectancy and reducing differences in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy between communities.
The Framework was unveiled on Monday 22nd January by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley at an event held at the Royal Society of Public Health.
Mike Holden, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association, who was invited to the event, said, “If you look at the progress indicators that local authorities will be measured against – such as fewer falls and smokers – you can immediately see where community pharmacy fits in. Community pharmacy has an absolutely key role in improving the public’s health. During the Q&A, I pressed the Secretary of State on what assurances he can give that community pharmacy will be consistently and appropriately commissioned nationwide and locally in the future. This is important - the Healthy Living Pharmacy initiative demonstrates what can be achieved if the energy of pharmacists and pharmacy teams is backed by commissioners.”
In response to Mike Holden’s question, Mr Lansley stated that community pharmacy needs to work closely with local authorities, Health and Wellbeing Boards and GPs in the future and that the current pharmacy contract needs revisiting as it does not lend itself to this extended public health and wellbeing role.
The Secretary of State’s announcement included more information about the allocation of funding to local authorities to manage aspects of health improvement and illness prevention. Pharmacy Voice convened a round table to local authority representatives last September from which a number of actions are being taken forward.
The outcome indicators are categorised in the framework into four groups: improving the wider determinants of health, health improvement, health protection and healthcare public health and preventing premature mortality.