Following recent figures demonstrating a significant increase in the number of Health Living Pharmacies, the Pharmacy and Public Health Forum has affirmed its continued commitment and support for the national rollout of HLPs across England.

At their recent meeting with senior representatives from Public Health England [PHE) Director of Health and Wellbeing, Professor Kevin Fenton, indicated that HLPs were likely to be a key focus for his organisation and that PHE intends to support project leadership at the national level.

Professor Fenton said at the meeting that HLPs had: “an excellent track record and that community pharmacy adds significantly to the health and wellbeing of the population. We have seen the power of the HLP model, where staff are enabled to proactively engage with the public on the provision of health messages and information to increase their wellbeing.”

Lord Howe, Health Minister said: “I am delighted that more pharmacies across the country are choosing to become Healthy Living Pharmacies. There are already more than 2000 health champions in local communities providing sexual health advice, helping people to stop smoking and reduce their alcohol intake. Their work is clearly popular with the public and even more people are set to benefit in the future from their expert advice on how to lead healthier lives.

“The work of Healthy Living Pharmacies is also great for the development of pharmacy teams, they can see the difference they are making to people in their local communities and are motivated to use their skills better.”

The latest figures show that there are 721accredited HLPs across the country, with over 600 expected to gain the quality mark over the next few months. At least 2100 qualified Health Champions are working within community pharmacies with the common aim of ensuring that they make every contact count, using every interaction as an opportunity for a health promoting intervention.

Success in implementation, together with the increasing evidence base, is leading to more investment for further development, with funding coming from Public Health Departments, Clinical Commissioning Groups, and Local Education and Training Boards in different parts of the country. Additionally, there are a number of pharmacy groups and independent contractors who recognise the benefits of HLPs and have decided to adopt the principles within their own organisations, the intention being to become HLP-ready, in anticipation of local commissioner engagement.

Professor Richard Parish, Chair of the Pharmacy and Public Health Forum said: “the Forum recognises and welcomes the significant and continued progress made with the rollout of the HLPs and is well aware of the benefits this brings to the health and wellbeing of the population. Surveys have shown that patient satisfaction with HLPs is over 98%, an unrivalled success story. We are all committed to making the benefits of HLPs available to even more members of the public during 2014”.