Directed Enhanced Services Are A Must Do Says The CCA, UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 17 Jun 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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In the wake of the Audit Commission and Healthcare Commission's report Is the Treatment Working, the Company Chemists Association (CCA) has analysed its findings and the implications for community pharmacy. The picture it paints comes as no surprise to the CCA, and echoes the feedback the CCA receives from its members who operate nationally across all the PCTs in England.

Although the report focuses predominantly on secondary care commissioning, its insights into how current policy levers are driving the internal market, service redesign and facilitating patient choice are very helpful. The CCA also believes it provides a pragmatic and realistic overview of the current impact of practice based commissioning. Given that community pharmacy is increasingly dependent on the competent PCT commissioners to drive local development of pharmacy services, its findings are of critical importance to CCA members.

Georgina Craig, CCA Commissioning Policy lead comments:

"It is clear from this report that NHS commissioning is in a sorry state. Community Pharmacy's future is inextricably linked to this reform agenda. Many of the services that pharmacy is seeking to provide will support care closer to home. Competition on a level playing field between all primary care providers is essential. And patient choice would fuel demand in pharmacy-based settings. Pharmacy owners should be extremely concerned that current policy levers are showing little impact after nearly three years. It does not bode well for a quick turnaround in PCT commissioning of pharmacy services. This underlines the importance of directed enhanced services within the pharmacy contract as a top priority. It is the only way we will see real progress at local level in the short to medium term."

Notes

1. The Company Chemists' Association (CCA) provides a forum for its member companies to work together to create an environment where community pharmacy can flourish, and where contractors compete in a fair and equitable way. Our nine members - Boots, The Co-operative pharmacy, Lloydspharmacy, Tesco, J Sainsbury, Wm Morrison Supermarkets, Asda Wal-Mart, Rowlands Pharmacy and Superdrug operate over 6,000 pharmacies - more than 50% of all the pharmacies in the United Kingdom.

2. Is the Treatment Working? examines the impact on patient care of those elements of the NHS reform programme intended to increase the scope for market-style mechanisms, on both the supply and demand sides, and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the NHS. A full copy is available at http://www.auditcommission.gov.uk.

Audit Commission