Isle of Wight pharmacy contractors, including the multiples, have united behind the withdrawal of monitored dosage systems from residential and nursing homes and a decision to halt the collection and disposal of unwanted medicines from the public.
They have done this because the Isle of Wight health authority has cancelled all agreements for the provision of advisory services to homes. It has decided to employ a single pharmacist to do all the work (PJ, March 11, p392). Contractors will continue to dispense medicines prescribed for residents.
Acting as a spokesman for Isle of Wight contractors, Mr Wally Dove (chairman, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee), who is himself a contractor on the island, told The Journal on June 20: "This is the first time that I can remember when all contractors have been united locally. It is a significant step for pharmacy."
In a statement on June 19, the Isle of Wight local pharmaceutical committee said: "Over the years, community pharmacies have provided services above and beyond those required under the terms of their contracts with the health authority. These have included out-of-hours supplies, the collection and safe disposal of unwanted medicines and the provision of costly MDSs to enable care home staff to ensure accurate and safe administration of medicines to their residents. Community pharmacists on the island are deeply offended and angered by the health authority's treatment of them and we feel we have no alternative. We have offered to meet the authority to find a way forward in the best interests of patients and the public, but it has refused to negotiate."
The LPC chairman (Mr David Croucher) told The Journal later on June 20 that he had been told that a health authority representative had contacted the superintendent pharmacist of one of the multiples and offered to negotiate on condition that the LPC's press statement was withdrawn. Mr Croucher said that, so far as he was aware, the health authority's position remained that a decision had been made and there was no possibility of negotiations.
A statement from Dr Peter Old (director of public health, IoW health authority) said that the new appointment was designed to improve health care for home residents.
"The health authority proposals replicate the system which has been in place in hospitals for years and help improve the care of people in homes," he said. The LPC had been invited to take part in a research project to substantiate this. The scheme would be reviewed if the study failed to show benefit.