This policy brief distils evidence submitted to the UK Government on pharmacy communication reform by Ameneh Ghazal Saatchi.

 

This submission draws on real-world application at the Barts Health NHS Trust and a systematic evidence review. It examines the transformative potential of network mapping for breaking down professional silos and structural barriers that limit pharmacy integration with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). It explains why current efforts to improve communication across healthcare divisions have not translated into a genuinely cohesive, integrated workforce.

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Social network analysis has significant potential to identify communication gaps, advocates and silos within local pharmacy networks. However, evidence suggests that the key barrier is not lack of collaborative intent but stakeholders feeling excluded from important communications. This is exacerbated by scheduling conflicts with ICB meetings during working hours and a lack of visibility of the identity of those communicating and those not. Without addressing these factors, pharmacy integration will remain sub-optimal, with silos going unidentified and disenfranchised pharmacists leaving the profession.