NPA Comments On Parliamentary Debate About Pharmacy Payments And Claw-Back, UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 20 Jan 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Adrian Sanders MP (Lib Dem, Torbay) introduced a parliamentary debate on 14 January about the reimbursement regime for community pharmacists. NPA Chief Executive, John Turk, comments: "The Government recently published a seminal White Paper, which sets out a vision for unlocking the potential of the community pharmacy sector in England. Pharmacy needs sustained investment and stable cash flows, to underpin confidence to invest in its future and step up to the opportunities described for it by the Department of Health. Erratic claw backs knock pharmacists' confidence to invest in new services, so it is important that the system that governs fair return must be reliable and predictable. Meanwhile, the new category of Directed Enhanced Services signalled in the White Paper should be constructed in such a way that any pharmacy wishing to take part should be supported to do so - rather than be subject the vagaries of post-code commissioning.

I am pleased that the importance of prompt payments to pharmacists has been raised directly with Ministers in Parliament. The NPA has been in correspondence with the Department of Health on the matter of prompt payments for enhanced services and we will also communicate directly with PCTs. World Class Commissioners should expedite all financial and other transactions with our members efficiently."

Notes

David Nicholson, NHS Chief Executive, wrote to all NHS Trust Chief Executives on 21st October asking them to examine and review existing payment practices and payment performance and to move as closely as possible to the ten-day payment commitment that has been set for Government Departments wherever practical. The letter can be found here.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) was established in 1921 as the trade association of community pharmacy owners. Its core purpose is to represent, support and protect the interests of all community pharmacy across the UK to ensure its members prosper commercially and professionally.

National Pharmacy Association

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