RPS and Marie Curie launch partnership to bring Daffodil Standards

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the UK's leading end of life charity Marie Curie are today launching a partnership to develop professional standards in end of life care for community pharmacy.

This work will align with the established Royal College of GPs and Marie Curie 'Daffodil Standards for advanced serious illness and end of life care' for GP Practices.

The Standards will be available for pharmacy teams across the whole of the UK and will provide a free, evidence-based framework to help community pharmacies self-assess and continuously improve their end of life and bereavement care for patients and carers.

The Standards will aim to enable community pharmacy teams to work together to develop their practice.

The RPS are establishing a professional standard steering group to drive this work forward. The group will consist of community pharmacy experts, experts within the field of palliative and end of life care, lay members, and healthcare professionals who interact with community pharmacy. There will also be an opportunity for interested individuals to help shape the work through a wider reference group.

Elen Jones, the Director Lead for palliative care work at RPS, said:

"The RPS have a long-term commitment, striving to ensure that people living with life-limiting conditions who are approaching the end of life have timely access to medicines and clinical support from a skilled pharmacy team. The development of these standards, in partnership with Marie Curie, is a crucial step to support community pharmacy teams to undertake simple quality improvement measures and build upon the care they already provide to this group of patients and carers."

Darrell Baker, Chair of the Daffodil Standards steering group, said:

"In my previous role as Clinical Director of Pharmacy and Medicines Management, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Wales, I was the palliative care lead for the chief pharmacists' peer group in Wales. Having been a part of the steering group that supported the development of the RPS policy work on Palliative & End of Life Care in 2018, I am now delighted to be chairing the steering group that will be developing these critically important Standards. Patients should expect to experience high quality, coordinated care, community pharmacy teams have a crucial role to play in supporting patients at the end of life and their families."

Dr Sarah Holmes, Marie Curie UK Medical Director and Palliative Care Consultant, said:

"From talking to families that we support, it is clear that health services received in the community such as support from community pharmacy can make such a difference to how patients and families experience end of life care and bereavement. Having someone they can go to who they already know well, and trust is vitally important at such a difficult time.

"The new Daffodil Standards will play a key role in excellent end of life care and ensure that busy community pharmacists and the pharmacy team have the support they need to continually build upon and improve the quality of care they provide to people at the end of life and those important to them. We look forward to this collaboration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and to supporting the implementation of these Standards in pharmacies across the UK once produced."

One person dies every minute in the UK each year, most of whom have an advanced serious illness. Research commissioned by Marie Curie shows that three quarters of bereaved carers said their loved one didn't get all the care and support they needed and nearly two thirds said their loved one's pain wasn't fully managed.

Marie Curie's 2021 Better End of Life Report estimates that 100,000 more people a year are expected to die in 20 years' time as the UK population ages.

The Daffodil Standards for Community Pharmacy are due to launch within the next twelve months.

 

For more information on the development of the Standards and for those interested in helping to shape this work, please contact: Iwan.Hughes@rpharms.com

ENDS

Notes to Editors
RPS: press.office@rpharms.com 020 7572 2272

Marie Curie: Sophie Dowdell, Media and PR Officer, Sophie.dowdell@mariecurie.org.uk or Marie Curie Press office on 0845 073 8699 or at media@mariecurie.org.uk

About RPS

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is the professional membership body for pharmacists and pharmacy. Our mission is to put pharmacy at the forefront of healthcare and our vision is to become the world leader in the safe and effective use of medicines. Since RPS was founded in 1841 we have championed the profession and are internationally renowned as publishers of medicines information. We support pharmacists in their education and development and advocate for pharmacy with governments and in the media.

About Marie Curie

Marie Curie is the UK's leading end of life charity.  The charity provides essential frontline nursing and hospice care for people with any terminal illness, a free support line and a wealth of information and support on all aspects of dying, death and bereavement. It is the largest charity funder of palliative and end of life care research in the UK. Marie Curie is committed to sharing its expertise to improve quality of care and ensuring that everyone has a good end of life experience. Marie Curie is calling for recognition and sustainable funding of end of life care and bereavement support.
Please note we are 'Marie Curie' (not 'Marie Curie Cancer Care').
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