Developing the vision of P:DaHW
Explore the key milestones behind Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales (P:DaHW), from the first call for a long-term strategy to putting the vision into action.
Published: 26 July 2024
This was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales was developed through collaboration with the pharmacy profession, the Welsh Government and other stakeholders.
This timeline looks back at some of the key moments in its development, from the initial call for a new long-term strategy in 2017 to the launch of new goals and continued work towards the 2030 vision.
| June 2017 | The first call for a new long-term strategy As part of the Senedd’s Public Account Committee inquiry into medicines management, in our evidence to the committee, RCPharm calls for a new long-term strategy for pharmacy to be in place. This would replace the previous strategy drafted by RCPharm, Your Care, Your Medicines, after all its aims had been achieved. |
| March 2018 | Senedd committee publishes report Following consideration of evidence, the Public Accounts Committee publishes its report on Medicines Management which notes that: “The committee recommends that the Welsh Government sets out a plan to maximise the use of pharmacy resource, including developing the modules for delivery in choose pharmacy and enabling independent pharmacists. This plan should build on the recommendations in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society report.” |
| May 2018 | Welsh Government accepts the recommendation The Welsh Government accepts the recommendation, stating; “We will ask the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee to work with stakeholders including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to develop a plan describing the future roles of pharmacy professionals in Wales and the steps to be taken by all stakeholders to maximise their use”. |
| September 2018 | RCPharm given key role to develop plan Responding to the Welsh Government request, the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee asks RCPharm Wales to project manage and author a ten-year vision for the profession. |
| October 2018-March 2019 | Developing a vision ‘by the profession, for the profession’ Over a period of 4 months RPS Wales ensures that every member of the profession had an opportunity to have their say and inform the vison. This is through a number focus groups held in all corners of Wales that were attended by over 400 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. This wide-spread engagement means this is a vision ‘by the profession, for the profession’. As well as focus groups, 4 expert working groups are established to identify priorities that aligned to the four main themes in “A Healthier Wales”, the Welsh Government’s long-term plan for health and social care. Wider views beyond pharmacy were also sought MDT and patient focus groups, as well as one-to-one interviews with strategic leaders across NHS Wales. |
| May 2019 | Draft plan submitted to the Welsh Government Following approval by the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee, the final RCPharm-drafted plan is submitted to Wales’s minister for health and social care. |
| July 2020 | Delivery Board established The Welsh Government establishes a Delivery Board that will support the implementation of the vision’s goals. |
| 2020-2023 | Three years of progress Despite the pandemic, huge strides are taken to drive forward the profession towards its 2030 vision. |
| June 2022 | RCPharm asked to develop new goals for 2025 With the timeline for the first set of goals to 2022 nearing an end, the Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee and Welsh Government again ask RCPharm to project manage engagement and author new three-year goals for 2025. |
| July 2022–September 2022 | Engagement on new three-year goals Over a three-month period, RCPharm Wales engages with the profession for views on priorities for the profession until 2025 through a number of focus groups and an open consultation. |
| October 2022 | New 2025 goals launched The new 3 year goals are launched at an event that included an address from the Minister for Health Social Service and presentations from member of the profession who have helped put the vision into action. |
| February 2023 | Working towards the 2025 goals Work is now underway to achieve the new 2025 goals with RCPharm Wales now also taking over administration and direction of the Delivery Board. |