On 28 January, a Parliamentary reception, ‘The Daffodil Standards for Community Pharmacy’, was held at Holyrood to raise awareness and highlight the role of pharmacists in providing high quality palliative care through use of The Daffodil Standards. The Standards, which are free to use, were developed by Royal Pharmaceutical Society in partnership with Marie Curie, and support community pharmacies to offer the best palliative, end of life and bereavement care to patients, families and carers.

The reception was organised by Royal Pharmaceutical Society, supported by Marie Curie and sponsored by Jackie Baillie MSP.  It brought together MSPs, Ministers, Civil Servants, Directors of Pharmacy, Community Pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, to celebrate the Standards and to encourage promotion of the Standards. The voice of patients, families and carers were represented by Alliance Scotland.

So far over 1000 pharmacy teams and individual pharmacists have signed up to the standards, including 60 in Scotland. Guests at the Reception heard from Darrell Baker (lead author of the Standards) and Glenn Davie (of Barnton Pharmacy in Edinburgh) who has implemented the standards locally. Mr Davie spoke powerfully about the importance of pharmacists being able to provide high quality palliative, end of life and bereavement care, especially in a context where the need for this care is increasing.

Speaking shortly after the event, Jackie Baillie MSP, who sponsored the reception said:

“I was delighted to sponsor this reception on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, in partnership with Marie Curie. 

“I know the huge contribution which pharmacy teams make to improving the healthcare outcomes of our constituents every single day. I also know how much need there is for the highest quality palliative care, and that the need for this care is increasing.  All initiatives to improve palliative, end of life and bereavement care, including The Daffodil Standards for Community Pharmacy, are of vital importance to our constituents.

“Community pharmacies are at the heart of our local areas, easily accessible and providing a walk in service. I’m delighted that sixty community pharmacies and pharmacists across Scotland have signed up to the standards so far, demonstrating their deep commitment to providing the very best care for their patients. I was delighted to meet some of those pharmacy teams and thank them for sharing the fantastic work which they are doing on behalf of patients, families and carers in their local communities.”