Introduction
The prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections has substantially increased in the United Kingdom and is now high on the political agenda. In 2001 the Government published the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV [1] and a number of further policies have followed [2-7]. A vision for developing the role of Community Pharmacy has been proposed as part of a comprehensive, integrated service, despite the literature showing little evidence of the effectiveness of the sector in Westernised Countries. A qualitative study was undertaken to canvass the opinions of key NHS Stakeholders in Doncaster, South Yorkshire to explore the potential contribution that Community Pharmacy can make and how development can be facilitated.

Key findings
14 subjects were interviewed, consisting of 6 Community Pharmacists, 5 representatives of the local Primary Care Trusts, 1 General Practitioner, 1 Nurse and an expert from the local GUM Clinic.
The participants agreed that the problem of STIs is of growing concern in Doncaster and that more could be done to alleviate the situation. However, development needs to be taken in context with other healthcare issues and it does not necessarily follow that more should be done.
Community Pharmacy has certain attributes that mean that it could be developed in circumstances where needs are identified and the where the sector is the most appropriate place for delivery. It was agreed that the major role for Community Pharmacy is in educating the public and signposting patients to other services. However, consensus was not achieved on screening, treating and contract tracing for STIs. All participants believed that training is required for pharmacists to acquire adequate knowledge and skills in dealing with these sensitive issues, before any developed service is delivered.
The data indicated that the development of Community Pharmacy should be planned in conjunction with other healthcare services and it must be ensured that full integration with the NHS is achieved. The pharmacists especially, believed that this would help to overcome problems with acceptance from both the public and other healthcare professionals.
The Community Pharmacists expressed a desire to develop their role, but this may be a manifestation of a general desire for professional development, rather than in Sexual Health specifically. For development to take place there needs to be greater political and professional will at local level. A number of operational issues need to be resolved, such as pharmacist workload and premises design, but there was hope that the New Pharmacy Contract will address them.