Pharmacists must back NHS England’s plans for a national diabetes prevention programme, this is an area where pharmacy can add value and have an opportunity engage with their customers and patients effect a change in behaviour and work with other healthcare providers to improve public health. There have been a few pilots where pharmacies have been shown to make a difference.
NHS England invited areas who had made “the greatest strides” in developing diabetes programmes to email them at [email protected] by the end of January for the opportunity to become a partner in developing the programme. The commissioning body would publish its approach by March and implement its plan from 2016, it said.
A National Prevention Board, chaired by PHE and bringing together the NHS, local government and other stakeholders, would oversee delivery of the programme.
It is time to engage with your local area teams.
Jackie Peck
