Consultation on remuneration in Scotland to consider
impact of RPM
Reduced pharmacy revenues due to the abolition of resale
price maintenance will be considered during negotiations over National
Health Service remuneration for Scottish pharmacy contractors.
During a recent debate in the Scottish Parliament
various members, including Margaret Ewing (Moray), raised the concerns
of rural pharmacists following the abolition of resale price maintenance.
Mrs Ewing said that local pharmacies were the first point of contact for
many people who needed help. She could not imagine Tesco or Asda opening
in out of the way villages.
The Deputy Minister for Health and Community Services,
Malcolm Chisholm, said that RPM would be an important issue for consideration
as part of the current consultation on a pharmacy strategy for Scotland
and would be discussed with the Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council
as part of the negotiations on pharmacy pay.
Following a visit to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s
Moray and Banff branch, Mrs Ewing wrote to Mr Chisholm underlining the
importance of the issues concerned and mentioned a number of points raised
at the branch meeting.
These included concern over the provision of advice
to patients by non-pharmacy outlets, limits on quantities of medicines
sold and quicker payment for dispensing NHS prescriptions. Mrs Ewing asked
that the Scottish Executive made its views known on this important issue.
— From our Scottish correspondent
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