In light of government reforms, Anne led an important and timely debate in parliament on Wednesday 11th January about the role that community pharmacies can play in an integrated health service, both locally and nationally.

Anne wanted to make the government aware of the continuing importance of pharmacies in communities and their potential to grow a ‘pharmacy first culture’ around the treatment of minor ailments, and other health services. 

‘In an ever-changing world we have a duty to continuously challenge the old models of health delivery systems’, Anne said.  ‘It is important to integrate community pharmacies into the NHS urgent care system and GP services.’

In October 2016, the government announced a new funding package which would see an overall reduction of 4% in funding in 2016/17 and a further 3.4% in 2017/18.  Mrs Main reacted at the time by stating that these reforms must not ‘extinguish the light of the smaller pharmacy’, and that she wanted to see the ‘biggest bang for the taxpayers’ buck’.

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

Having met a local pharmacist at The Quadrant, Rachel Solanki, 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 Anne.  ‘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 said that, ‘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 who support independent pharmacies and help them grow their business.’