National Pharmacy Association Meets New NHS Cooperation And Competition Panel

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 10 Feb 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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The NPA met this week with the newly formed NHS Cooperation and Competition Panel to learn more about the CCP's remit and to draw attention to issues of broad concern to community pharmacists across England.

Commenting, John Turk, NPA Chief Executive, said:

"Pharmacists often remark that they compete on an unlevel playing field when developing primary care services. They are entirely justified in doing so. Locally commissioned services are too often reserved for incumbent, non-pharmacy providers - a situation sometimes compounded by narrowly focused practice based commissioning."

"The fact that the Panel agreed to meet us during their first week of operation shows that they are prepared to take pharmacy seriously. Time will tell whether the influence of the panel will help to even things up. The Panel's bottom line is always to consider the impact of any practice on patients and taxpayers. Drawing out the potential of community pharmacy is surely of benefit to both."

Notes

The NHS Cooperation and Competition Panel helps ensure that the Principles and Rules of Co-operation and Competition for the provision of NHS funded services support the delivery of high quality care for patients and value for money for tax payers.

The Panel investigates potential breaches of the Principles and Rules, and makes independent recommendations to the Department of Health and Monitor on how such breaches should be resolved. It also reviews proposed mergers, and advises on the wider development of co-operation, patient choice and competition within the NHS.

In carrying out its responsibilities, the Panel works with all parts of the NHS, non-government service providers and others to drive improvements in service delivery.

National Pharmacy Association

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