This story was originally published by Independent Community Pharmacist.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has today published its general election manifesto which sets out how pharmacists’ contribution to patient care and the NHS can be supported by the next government – and urged its members to send it to potential candidates who could run in their local constituencies.

Pharmacy’s professional leadership body set out seven broad proposals in the manifesto including scrapping prescription charges in England so patients have improved access to medicines, funding IT infrastructure so all health professionals can update patients’ records and ensure every integrated care system has a “ring-fenced chief pharmacist” and continue support for the development of pharmacist prescribing services so patients can receive care closer to their homes.

Other proposals include securing “fair funding” for pharmacy teams, pass legislation on supervision in community pharmacy while funding education and training of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, invest in the UK’s health and science workforce so it has the skills maximise technologies such as pharmacogenomics and digital healthcare and continue to support the country’s science and research community and support international collaboration on research.

The RPS encouraged its members to ask candidates to visit their local pharmacy to hear how pharmacists make “a real difference” to their constituents’ health and tell people how they are supporting their pharmacies on the #VotePharmacy hashtag on X.

RPS president Claire Anderson said whichever party wins the election, the date of which has yet to be announced, will have an opportunity to take the pressure off the NHS by improving the scope of pharmacy.

“The health service is under continued pressure, striving to maintain patient access to quality care amid workforce shortages, widening health inequalities, and recurring medicines supply issues,” she said.

“Against this backdrop, the next government will face some key challenges to support patients and the NHS in 2024 and beyond. But there are also opportunities, including growing the number of pharmacist prescribers, delivering care closer to home, and making the most of new advances such as pharmacogenomics.”

Anderson insisted the future of the NHS “will be a key issue at the next election” and encouraged RPS members “to engage with their local candidates to help pharmacy be a part of that debate.”