News summary

NPA opposes open display of P medicines

OPPOSITION to the open display of pharmacy medicines for self-selection has come from the board of the National Pharmaceutical Association. The board considers this development not to be in the best interests of either patients or pharmacists.

At its June meeting, the board noted that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s new Code of Ethics, approved at the Society’s AGM in May, forbids the placing of P medicines on self-selection. Such an approach has been considered by a number of pharmacy companies to be commercially restrictive and a variety of merchandising devices have emerged to increase the visibility of pharmacy medicines while preventing self-selection. The basic principle is that consumers are able to see, and in some cases, feel the product and as with general consumer goods, are more likely to want to purchase them. Numark Ltd recently started a trial of self-selection under protocol, with the Society’s approval (PJ, 2 June, p737).

It is the NPA’s view that the movement to open display of P medicines, notwithstanding any controls, is likely to lead to a weakening of the professional input into the sales of this category. This could in turn lead to a blurring of the differences between the P and GSL medicines and, over time, pressure will mount for a merging of the two categories. If this prediction is accurate, the self-selection of P medicines cannot be in the best long term professional or commercial interests of NPA members as a whole.

The NPA board was also concerned to learn that in the north east of England and Wales valuation offices appeared to be targeting pharmacies with a view to significantly increasing their rateable values. Pharmacies within or adjacent to doctors’ surgeries were particularly being targeted. In proposing new rates, valuation offices were taking into account prescription turnover details. The board decided to survey members to get an impression of how widespread the problem was. At the same time, the NPA would extend all the support it could to assist members affected by the proposed increases.

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