New Scottish pharmacists and GPs partnership

The Royal College of General Practitioners (Scotland) (RCGP) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in Scotland have today announced an initiative to improve patient care by creating an enhanced partnership between their two professions.
To launch the initiative, a statement has been published that identifies a need for shared standards and joint working practices as well as the necessary building blocks for change. This includes:
• Sharing patient information in a secure manner• Creating opportunities for joint education and training • Linking the work of GP practices with pharmacies in the same community.
The RPS in Scotland and RCGP Scotland believe their initiative will lead to better outcomes for patients with long-term conditions, safer use of medicines and better self-care for more common conditions.
The initiative was welcomed by the Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon MSP, who said: "I very much welcome this joint statement by the GP and Pharmacist professional bodies in Scotland, underpinning their commitment and proactive approach to collaborative working for the benefit of patients.
"We will work with the RCGP and RPS in moving forward the recommendations and actions highlighted in the statement.
"It is in keeping with the ambitions of the Healthcare Quality Strategy for Scotland and this Government's commitment and vision to further enhance the role of pharmacists in healthcare provision, and encourage closer joint working between GPs, pharmacists and other community services."
Age Scotland spokesman Lindsay Scott said: "There is no doubt Pharmacy and general practice, though intrinsically linked, have not always worked as well together as they could.
"This initiative bodes well for patients in that through improved cooperation, pharmacists and GPs can create a better NHS and thus make healthcare safer, more effective and more responsive to the needs of patients."
An Action Plan that schedules joint projects and initiatives aimed at developing more cohesive approaches to patient care will be launched shortly. 
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