NPA welcomes Andrew Lansley’s support for community pharmacies

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has hailed health secretary Andrew Lansley for his support for community pharmacies following a visit to a recently-opened facility.

Mr Lansley travelled to Bassingbourn Pharmacy in his constituency of Cambridgeshire last week in order to observe the role local pharmacists are playing in the provision of NHS services.

He met with NPA chief executive Mike Holden during the event and outlined his belief that pharmacies are "vitally important" in offering frontline healthcare to communities.

The Conservative minister added that this is an aspect he hopes to expand upon by encouraging pharmacists to work more closely with GPs and other healthcare professionals in future.

Mr Holden said: "We agree that community pharmacy already has a key role in the provision of health and wellbeing services and the potential to do significantly more."

Earlier this month, the NPA launched a new bursary scheme designed to provide registered pharmacists with funding to conduct research relating to community pharmacy practice.