Pharmacists and GPs need to 'advocate for each other' says NPA lead

Pharmacists need to be ‘visible’ and pitch their role as part of multidisciplinary teams that can ‘add value to GP practices’ the vice chair of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), Sukhi Basra has said.

Community pharmacists must see themselves ‘on a level playing field’ with GPs, nurse practitioners, and dentists if they want policymakers to take them seriously and invest in the sector, she said at the Pharmacy Show in Birmingham last week.

‘See yourself as a clinician, and don’t underestimate your power,’ she urged. ‘You have the trust of the patient; you are accessible; they may not ask their doctor or nurse the same questions they ask you,’ said Ms Basra.

‘They may have misinformation and you, as a community pharmacist, are best placed to eradicate those fears and really educate them.’

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She stressed the importance of strengthening relationships with GPs and telling them what pharmacists are capable of and building a multidisciplinary team that can add value to a GP practice.

‘We are very good at talking to people so why can’t we do it with our peers?’ Ms Basra asked.

Once GPs and pharmacists have developed a ‘camaraderie’ they will be better able to 'advocate for each other, and for their patients'.

They will also realise that pharmacists and GPs are very similar – both are dealing with their own contracts and trying to make them work, both have similar pain points and struggles.

Ms Basra listed some of the ways pharmacists can ease pressure on GPs, including the New Medicine Service (NMS), the Discharge Medicines Service (DMS), vaccinations, Pharmacy First and the Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS).

She said: ‘We are very poor at pitching what our role is, but it’s important that our primary care teams recognise our value. Make sure you are being visible.’

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To develop a shared vision with GPs, she made several suggestions for pharmacists:

• Engage with GPs and develop communication channels;
• Implement a comprehensive, standardised framework for service and professional development;
• Develop clinical governance with clear protocols;
• Define pathways for professional development and mentoring;
• Obtain interoperable IT systems and access to patient records.

‘Don’t forget, you are the trusted front door of healthcare. If we build a system around that front door, the doors will open, the house will be built, the foundations will be strong, and our patients will have a room in the inn,’ Ms Basra added.

In an interview with The Pharmacist, Ms Basra said it was her mission to ‘achieve greater advocacy in community pharmacy’ and ‘a real voice’ for the sector.

One day a week, Ms Basra works in the GP practice in which the pharmacy sits as a respiratory lead – running a clinic in tandem with an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP). She also previously worked as a primary care network (PCN) lead in Hertfordshire some years ago.

She became the second woman to join the NPA’s board in 2023 and it was announced in April 2025 that she has been elected as the first ever female vice chair.

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Other speakers at The Pharmacy Show shared Ms Basra’s optimism. Michael Lennox, local integration lead at the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), described the coming years as a critical opportunity for the sector to redefine its role within primary care, and called for urgent action to ensure pharmacy is central to delivering national priorities like prevention and reducing demand on general practice.

And England’s chief pharmaceutical officer, David Webb, said that NHS England will do what it can to ensure pharmacy is part of the 10-year health plan dialogue.