Call for pharmacists to work in GP surgeries

There are calls for pharmacists to begin working more closely alongside GPs by having a physical presence in their surgeries.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society believe that tighter links between the two parties will help to put an end to many of the day-to-day issues experienced in relation to prescribing drugs, particularly for patients needing a complex mix of medicines or those with long-term health conditions.

What's more, the industry bodies hope that having pharmacists present in doctors' surgeries will bring an end to GPs' time being taken up by patients with minor illnesses, as instead they could be given advice and prescriptions for chemists.

Chair of the RCGP Dr Maureen Baker explained: "This isn't about having a pharmacy within a surgery, but about making full use of the pharmacist's clinical skills to help patients and the overstretched GP workforce."

The RCGP is also calling for the NHS budget for general practice to be upped from its current eight percent to 11 percent by 2017.