UK residents will get more health services from their community pharmacist under a newNational Health Service(NHS) contractual framework that went into effect this month. The new framework calls for pharmacists to provide repeat dispensing, advice to improve personal health, medicine use reviews for those with long-term conditions, and a place to dispose of unwanted medications.

The new contract was overwhelmingly supported by pharmacies, with 92% voting in favor of the deal. The Department of Health characterized it as “an important step forward in modernizing pharmacy services and making better use of the skills and expertise of pharmacists and their staff.”

Sue Sharpe, chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, who negotiated the contract on behalf of pharmacists, said, “The NHS is recognizing the important role that the 10,000 community pharmacies in England can play in opening up greater access for the public to a range of new health services. The use of community pharmacies for services such as health promotion, support for self-care and advice on managing long-term conditions will deliver substantial benefits, not only to patients, but to the NHS as a whole.”

Guidance on creating new consultant pharmacist posts in hospitals and primary care trusts also was launched earlier this month.