National Pharmacy Association Project To Improve NHS Commissioning, UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 05 Jul 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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The NPA is working with LPCs and PCTs to develop a process for assuring the quality of commissioning of community pharmacy services. The aim of the project is to increase constructive dialogue between contractors and commissioners, increase the level of local investment in pharmacy services and improve PCT performance right the way around the commissioning cycle.

Promoting the project to NHS managers at a Primary Care Commissioning workshop in London today, Stephen Fishwick, NPA Head of External Relations said:

"Our plan is to research pharmacy contractors' perspectives on the nature of local commissioning of pharmacy services. The NPA will make arrangements for collecting pharmacy contractors' views and the results will be collated centrally, so that a national picture, as well as regional (SHA) and PCT-by-PCT level analysis is possible. The data will be interpreted and presented in such a way as to map across to the World Class Commissioning competencies laid out by the Department of Health."

"The results at national level will be used to identify actions that the Department of Health may wish to take forward to address deficiencies, as well as to identify best practice. Regional results will be used to identify actions required at SHA level and could inform a regional workshop programme to kick-start improvements. PCT level results would be used in connection with the World Class Commissioning assurance process."

The project is being developed with World Class Commissioning in mind, and is therefore applicable in England. It is however adaptable for use outside of England and the NPA is currently considering its application to LHBs in Wales.

Source
National Pharmacy Association