NPA Guide To Practice Based Commissioning - Update

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 01 Dec 2008 - 4:00 PST

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One year on from the Practice Based Commissioning Week organised by the pharmacy bodies in 2007, the NPA is releasing an update of its Guide to PBC, which includes a step-by-step guide to engagement.

In the Guide's preface, Professor David Colin-Thomé, DH National Director for Primary Care comments:

"A year has elapsed since the NPA launched its excellent guide to practice based commissioning (PBC), with its practical tips on how pharmacists could engage. The publication is as relevant today, as PBC is here to stay.

In the recently published Next Stage Review of the NHS (by Lord Darzi) and in particular within the strategy (vision for primary and community care), there is a strong commitment to strengthening the role of PBC. An underlying theme of the review is that with increasing influence comes increasing accountability. So it is for PBC - and accountability must include partnership working. A great opportunity indeed for pharmacists."

PBC Week was an awareness raising initiative, to encourage pharmacy engagement in PBC. Locally, a number of pharmacists and Local Pharmaceutical Committees used the week as a target date for making progress on local engagement.

NPA members can obtain the NPA Guide to PBC from http://www.npa.co.uk/membersor from g.jones@npa.co.uk.

Other NPA resources include a series of template PBC business case templates for pharmacy based services (available at http://www.npa.co.uk/members).

National Pharmacy Association