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A pharmacy owner's view

Bharat Patel has been practising for nearly 30 years, and owns two community pharmacies in the towns of Benfleet and Rayleigh in Essex.

Supporting an evolving profession

Bharat sees the establishment of the new GPhC as an excellent opportunity to help the pharmacy profession in meeting the needs of a modern NHS. 'The role of pharmacists is changing rapidly and, to some extent, we're in uncharted waters,' he says. 'As community pharmacy owners, we will be competing for new sources of income in a way we've never done before. The GPhC must make sure that its standards and requirements reflect this.'

He also believes that, as the profession evolves, the GPhC has an important role to play in protecting the high public standing that pharmacists enjoy. 'The public must be kept informed about the new roles within pharmacy. The GPhC also needs to monitor these new roles, both to protect public safety and to instil continuing confidence in pharmacy services.'

Consultation

Bharat is keen to see community pharmacy owners involved in consultation: 'It's the only way that the new body can truly understand the implications of its decisions. We need to know that what we say actually makes a difference.'

Registering pharmacy technicians 

Bharat feels that the registration of pharmacy technicians will instil greater confidence among commissioners and will enhance the whole pharmacy team. 'I hope that, by broadening the skill mix, we'll be able to provide more clinical services at the same time as enhancing our core dispensing service.' Registration will also provide a clear indication that potential new recruits have met certain professional standards.

New standards for premises: the key issues

While Bharat acknowledges the importance of setting high standards for pharmacy premises, he identifies two key issues facing community pharmacists: 

First, he would like to see incentives put in place to provide better support for community pharmacies in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Second, he would like to see the GPhC address concerns that other service commissioners might be setting less stringent standards: 'Having to comply with higher regulatory standards than our competitors could put us in a difficult position.'

In short, Bharat believes that the GPhC must strike a balance between making sure that pharmacies are properly regulated and allowing them to maintain their competitive edge. 'We just want to compete on a level playing field with other providers.'