National Pharmacy Association Board Meeting, UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 02 Oct 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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NPA Chairman, Paul Bennett, comments on some of the items discussed at the September 2008 meeting of the NPA' Board of Management:

1. Chlamydia Screening

"I am pleased that the Association's timely launch of a pharmacy based Chlamydia Screening Service will enable all our members to take advantage of the recent announcement that azithromycin has been reclassified as a pharmacy medicine to treat Chlamydia infection. It is my hope that our members will make the most of the opportunity to move professional practice forward."

2. Tendering for Generics in NI

"The National Pharmacy Association is concerned that the current DHSSPS plans for generic tendering could be damaging to community pharmacy and the patients they serve, and fully backs PCC's actions in challenging these proposals.

Health departments are right to consistently monitor the drug budget and ensure that the taxpayer is obtaining value for money. Pharmacy has always been supportive of this principle, and the tax payer already benefits from the profession's ability to source drugs at competitive prices. Governments undo this tried and tested method for exerting downward pressure on medicines costs at their peril. The generic tendering plan has the potential to do much damage, and we urge a halt to this process so that alternative proposals can be put forward and fully evaluated."

3. Collaboration between pharmacy bodies on Pharmacy White Paper

"I am keen that we make the most of this collaborative enterprise and to that end the NPA Board has recommended that we now look to invest our resources in a planned and organised way. Things are moving along quickly and I look forward to providing updates to our members in the coming months."

4. Consultation on Pharmacy White Paper Proposals

i) Moratorium on 100 hour contract applications

"The publication of the consultation on the proposals on pharmacy contract applications makes it evident that the Government now recognises that the 100 hour contract loophole is incongruous with a planned approach to the location of pharmacy premises. The resulting uncertainty does nothing to encourage our members to invest in their premises. It is the view of this Board that the simplest way of averting increased applications through this mechanism would be to hold a moratorium on such applications with immediate effect. "

ii) Supplementary Pharmaceutical lists

"We fundamentally disagree with the proposal to establish supplementary pharmaceutical lists. When this was raised before we had concerns that the increased burden of regulation would raise costs for our members and duplicate the work already carried out by RPSGB and GPhC in the future, nothing in the Government's proposals have changed this view."

iii) Control of Entry of Community Pharmacy Contracts

"The NPA has long supported the principle of a planned approach to community pharmacy contracts and we are glad the Government has now given their support to this principle. Therefore this board does support the granting of contracts based on Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments provided three important additional points are included in the mechanism:

1. PNAs are produced against a national template through a robust process including full consultation with pharmacy

2. Contractors can be assured that PCTs will apply PNAs in a correct and consistent manner

3. An appeals process is put in place taking an "ombudsman-type approach".

National Pharmacy Association

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