§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to enhance the role of pharmacists and other primary care professionals; and, if so, how. [94633]
§ Mr. HuttonWe plan shortly to publish a strategy on community pharmacy which will deal explicitly with the broader role that pharmacists can play in improving health and health care. We intend that, with appropriate training, optometrists should develop their role beyond sight testing to work with general practitioners and ophthalmologists in treating patients with eye diseases.
304WThe steps we are taking elsewhere in primary care will develop services through walk-in centres, personal medical services pilots and the introduction of primary care groups, which will provide a wider range of opportunities for primary care professionals to expand their roles to improve services for patients. Nurses in particular will benefit from these changes and will be further supported by the roll-out of our programme to enable all nurses with district nursing or health visiting qualification who wish to be able to prescribe drugs and appliances for their patients in their own right.