In autumn last year, a group of pharmacy experts gathered in London to discuss how specialist pharmacy services could evolve to benefit patients, NHS organisations and the NHS as a whole – and what role the private sector could play in this.

Download HSJ’s special report from the roundtable debate

Experts wrestled with expanding the role of hospital pharmacists and the potentially huge impact of outsourcing services in a debate over the future of hospital pharmacy.

The participants in the round table discussion were:

  • Dr John Coakley (chair), medical director, Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust
  • Chris Calkin, chair of the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s policy committee, retired finance director at University Hospital of North Staffordshire, and part time lecturer at Keele University.
  • Ian Costello, chief pharmacist, Royal Marsden Hospital
  • Aaron Cummins, chair of the Foundation Trust Network’s finance directors forum, and finance director, Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust
  • Dr Chris Green, director of pharmacy and medicines management, Countess of Chester Foundation Trust, and chair of the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association Allan Karr chair of the National Homecare Medicines Committee, and pharmacy business manager, University College London Hospitals Foundation Trust
  • Ron Pate, secondary care pharmaceutical adviser to the department of medicines management, Keele University, a consultant to the NHS and the pharmacy industry, and author of Outsourcing hospital pharmacy outpatient dispensing services – challenges and opportunities Scott Savage chief pharmacist, Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust
  • Pete Shergill, head of strategic services, Lloydspharmacy
  • Sally Taber, director, Independent Healthcare Advisory Services

HSJ’s pharmacy roundtable special report is free to download