The Pharmacists’ Defence Association has given a cautious welcome to the government’s supervision consultation published on 7 December.

“Uniquely on this occasion, the Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with representatives of the pharmacy sector for six months in the run up to the release of the consultation,” the PDA says.

“It is therefore reassuring to see that the consultation broadly supports the Supervision Practice Group’s recommendations. This builds trust and confidence in the process, and consequently, is cautiously welcomed by the PDA.”

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The Association goes on to say that if the changes proposed in the Group’s report are delivered, this is an opportunity for transformational improvements in pharmacy practice.

However, some of the group’s recommendations have not been taken up and the PDA has sought assurances from the DHSC that they will be.

The PDA is cautious, it says, because the model of supervision described in the Supervision Practice Group’s report can only be delivered if changes to the law are simultaneously supported by new Rules and Regulations from the regulator.

“The changes being proposed in this consultation are a good starting point but until new regulations and professional guidance provide the required clarity, the overall picture of how supervision will work in a modernised community pharmacy practice will not become fully apparent,” says the PDA.