FEATURE
“It is my view that we do not have the capacity as an industry to take on further efficiency savings without a direct impact on patient care, which has to be our first and foremost concern.”
> and political support for local pharmacies,” it said.
NPA Chairman, Ian Strachan, added, “The Government is conducting a dangerous experiment which could >
> see local pharmacies close, thereby reducing people’s access to
pharmaceutical and healthcare advice, and putting extra pressure on GPs and hospitals. The current drift of policy puts at risk a part of the health system that holds the key to solving many of its problems. Patients would be the biggest losers.
“Fundamentally, the answers lie in universal implementation of what we know works well, not about relying on unproven measures that could have serious unintended and irreversible consequences. Our voice is most powerful when NPA members are actively involved, so we are asking independents to step forward at what could be an important moment in pharmacy history. It is vital that we all play our part in the coming months.”
Community Pharmacy Wales has voiced its concerns over the 2016-17 funding settlement. Russell Goodway, Chief Executive at CPW said the organisation was aware of the correspondence between England’s Department of Health and the PSNC.
“Due to the current Wales/England arrangement there is a real danger that it will affect the Wales based community pharmacy network despite circumstances in Wales being completely different to those currently prevailing in England,” he warned.
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“NHS services in Wales are very clearly the responsibility of Welsh Ministers and we will seek an early dialogue with the Health Minister in Cardiff Bay in a bid to ensure that the impact of what appears to be a very ill -informed set of proposals do not adversely affect services to patients in Wales.”
Mr Goodway said that the “Welsh Government, and in particular the current Minister, has a track record of being supportive of community pharmacy based services and has enhanced its role in the Welsh NHS through the introduction of a range of new services. CPW is confident that the Minister will not want decisions made by English Ministers to derail the progress we are achieving in Wales.”
The planned cuts to pharmacy funding could result in a “direct impact” on patient care, John Nuttall, Chief Executive of the multiple Well Pharmacy has also suggested. Pharmacies may also be forced to reconsider services that they currently offer free of charge.
“It is my view that we do not have the capacity as an industry to take on further efficiency savings without a direct impact on patient care, which has to be our first and foremost concern.”
Pharmacy has already achieved efficiencies in response to pressure, he said. “We accept and are supportive of the collective, long-term vision that pharmacy must play in delivering primary care services. However, pharmacy is already under significant and severe pressure to improve
efficiencies, many of which have already been absorbed: Evidence points in the last ten years to a 55% volume growth in prescription medicines dispensed through community pharmacies, yet delivered at an overall cost inflation of just 9%.
“Let me be clear that it will mean a compromise on the sector’s ability to provide existing discretionary services that community pharmacy, as an industry, delivers free of charge to the NHS every day.”
The proposals should be reconsidered, said Mr Nuttall. “While we will continue to work with the government in a planned and considered way to shape a community pharmacy fit for the future, there must be reconsideration of the strategy to ensure patients remain protected.”
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has responded to the consultation on ‘Community Pharmacy in 2016/17 and Beyond’ and expressed concerns about the impact the cut in funding will have on patient care.
They have also made the case for investment in the profession which would improve the public’s health and wellbeing.
On 12 February, the English Pharmacy Board submitted a 10 point response to the consultation on community pharmacy reforms. Key points from our submission include:
• Concerns about the potential impact of the cuts to contract funding on patient care. The RPS is calling for
assurance from the Government that the public’s health will not be affected by these changes.
• The RPS has put a strong case for the development of pharmacy to deliver a greater range of clinical services in new roles that will fulfil the Government’s ambition to put pharmacists at the heart of the NHS.
• A call for recognition that community pharmacy provides the public with the most accessible NHS service in the country, providing medicines, uniquely specialist medicines advice and cost-effective clinical interventions every day of the week and has a key role to play in improving the public’s health.
• A need for reassurance that the overarching objective of these reforms centres on improving patient access to care, advice and medicines from pharmacists.
• A call for all medicine supply models to meet patients’ needs, ensure medicine and medicine advice safety and involve pharmacists wherever patients are in contact with medicines.
• A call for clarity on whether there will be further cuts to the global sum in future years, or any fundamental changes to the contract itself. The RPS has expressed serious concerns that further cuts could destabilise the sector and lead to uncertainty
and a lack of investment for the future. n
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