The MP for St Albans stressed the important role pharmacies play within the community during a parliamentary debate.

In light of government reforms, Anne Main MP led the timely debate in the Parliament on Wednesday.

She sought to highlight the continuing importance of pharmacies in local communities, and outline the potential to grow a “pharmacy first culture” around the treatment of minor ailments. 

“In an ever-changing world we have a duty to continuously challenge the old models of health delivery systems,” she said.  

“It is important to integrate community pharmacies into the NHS urgent care system and GP services.”

In October, the government announced a new funding package which would see an overall funding reduction of 4 per cent in 2016/17, and a further 3.4 per cent in 2017/18. 

Mrs Main reacted at the time by stating that these reforms “must not extinguish the light of the smaller pharmacy”.

During the debate, the St Albans MP said “we need to promote more of a ‘pharmacy first culture’ for minor ailments to take the pressure off frontline services”.

Having met local pharmacist Rachel Solanki at The Quadrant in November last year, Anne took the opportunity in the debate to voice the concerns and hopes of pharmacists who work in small, independent outlets. 

“[Ms Solanki] proposes that pharmacies could and should act as well-being hubs for the communities they serve,” said Mrs Main. 

“Can I urge the government to listen to the pharmacists when considering how to take this integration forward as we don’t want to lose the good in the system, especially where it works well for our local patients?”

Looking at local pharmacies in general, Mrs Main added: “In St Albans we have great independent, local pharmacists who want to get more involved.  We even have the head-quarters of the National Pharmacy Association in St Albans, which supports independent pharmacies and helps them grow their business.”