The National Pharmaceutical Association’s board of management was pleased
that the Government had published a strategy for pharmacy after such a long
time, and considered the plan in great detail at its September meeting.
There were positive aspects, particularly the Government’s recognition
of pharmacy’s important place in primary care services, but there were
other matters where strong representation would be needed on behalf of community
pharmacy. All efforts would be made to ensure that members’ views were
taken on board during the plan’s implementation and it was agreed to form
a working group to examine the plan in detail.
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| Mallinson House, the NPA’s headquarters |
In a move welcomed by the board, the plan officially made reference to community
pharmacy as the fourth disposition within NHS Direct. A commitment to community
pharmacy based medicines management schemes was also welcomed. A medicines management
action team would be set up and the board agreed that the NPA should lobby for
a key role in this team.
The NPA would offer to help implement the planned NHS repeat dispensing and
electronic prescription transfer schemes. The NPA would emphasise the benefits
to patients of repeat dispensing via pharmacies, with face-to-face contact,
rather than a central distribution service.
In response to the announcement of 500 new one-stop primary care centres, the
board agreed that the NPA should work with other pharmacy organisations to develop
a model where both the nearby community pharmacies and one-stop primary care
centre pharmacies could thrive. This would ensure that consumers benefited from
the retention of a well-distributed community pharmacy network to meet their
needs, rather than a perceived short-term gain of an extra pharmacy within a
one-stop centre which could undermine the viability of other local pharmacies.
The NPA was planning to raise awareness of the development of these centres
among its members, and provide advice on how they could develop new ways of
working in response.
The board welcomed the recognition of the ability of community pharmacists to
provide additional services, but stressed that this would not be possible without
the retention of the current community pharmacy network and extra funding to
provide extended role services.
Other matters considered at the meeting are reported below.
Professional indemnity In the light of the Government’s inclusion of e-pharmacy within the pharmacy plan, which defined more clearly the legality of internet sales of medicines, the board agreed in principle to indemnify members wishing to offer such services. However, the use of emerging internet technologies introduced new elements of risk which would need to be taken into account in any extension of cover. The full extent of any increased risk, and of any resultant amendments to existing cover, would become clearer from a detailed risk assessment being undertaken.
Veterinary dispensing In a response to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate
(VMD), the board called for changes in veterinary legislation and reclassification
of some veterinary medicines. The NPA had been invited to submit evidence as
part of an independent review of dispensing by veterinary surgeons (PJ, August
12, p220). The board called for more veterinary medicines to be deregulated
from prescription only to pharmacy status. It would be identifying potential
products. A new category of veterinary medicines, prescription only medicine
(exempt)[POM(E)], should be introduced in the UK, to mirror Irish regulations.
These could be supplied in special conditions without the need for a veterinarian’s
prescription. No specific diagnosis by a vet would be required. This would help
to reduce black market trading in POM(E) medicines from the Irish Republic.
The board also called for a change in legislation that would require veterinarians
to issue a written prescription at the end of a consultation. This would end
the grip that veterinarians currently held over consumers.
In the interests of public safety, the NPA believed that the same standards
of practice that applied to the dispensing of human medicines in pharmacies
should apply to the dispensing of veterinary medicines in veterinary practices.
Pet medicines leaflet The VMD had asked for comment on a draft information leaflet, “How do I know this medicine is safe for my pet?”, designed for distribution to pet owners through veterinary practices. Although generally happy with the leaflet, the board felt that it should be made clearer that pharmacy and merchant’s list (PML) medicines were available from pharmacies and registered merchants. The leaflet should also be distributed through pharmacies.
Practice research The Community Pharmacy Practice Research Consortium (CPPRC) steering group had decided to fund research into establishing the needs of potential purchasers of a medicines management service.
Product safety The NPA supported a Medicines Control Agency proposal that medicines should be excluded from the implementation in the United Kingdom of a revised European directive on product safety since they were already subject to rigorous safety control. The NPA welcomed the proposal to include unlicensed medicines, herbal products and food supplements in the revised directive, as there was currently no formal procedure in place for the recall or notification of faulty or unsafe products of this nature.