The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has released a toolkit to help pharmacists and GPs understand each other’s roles.

The ‘Walk in my Shoes’ project, based on a 2015 Lewisham clinical commissioning group (CCG) project, aims to improve patient care by encouraging good working relationships between pharmacists and GPs.

The toolkit includes information for local pharmaceutical committees (LPCs) to set up a ‘Walk in my Shoes’ project, including template resources to engage with Local Medical Committees (LMCs) and GP practices, a confidentiality agreement, checklists for GP practice staff and pharmacy staff, an action plan and an outcomes log.

Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at PSNC said: ‘The future development of community pharmacy services, described in the Community Pharmacy Forward View, envisages pharmacy teams, patients and GP teams working closely together in order to help patients to optimise their use of medicines and the management of their long-term conditions. Using the ‘Walk in my Shoes’ approach to developing working relationships at a local level could support the implementation of the services described in the Community Pharmacy Forward View.

‘At a time when all teams working within the NHS are feeling the pressure of patient demand and financial constraint, spending time on such an initiative may be viewed by some as an unnecessary luxury, but the challenges that community pharmacy and GP teams face are much more likely to be successfully tackled through strong team working between organisations, which enables individuals and teams to identify better ways of supporting patients and providing services.’