The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7196 p596
4 May 2002

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Opportunities knock

Announcements about developments in pharmacy came fast and furious after last week's issue of The Pharmaceutical Journal went to press. The long-awaited guidance from the Department of Health on the development of local pharmaceutical services contracts in England was published (p597 and p605) followed by the plans to slash the red tape covering switches from prescription only to pharmacy medicine status (p598 and p607).

The development of LPS contracts will inevitably be slow and patchy. This is because the bulk of the funding for these contracts will have to come from primary care trusts' own budgets. Many PCTs have only been in existence since the beginning of last month and they are grappling with many issues — not least taking on many roles from health authorities.

Nevertheless, the more forward-thinking PCT boards should leap at any LPS bids that offer medication reviews for older patients. These are win-win opportunities. Medication reviews of elderly patients are more than likely to result in a reduction of the number of medicines prescribed. Not only will these benefit the patients in terms of compliance and reductions in side effects, and fulfil the requirements of the National Service Framework for Older People, they will also produce savings in drug expenditure. Once a PCT appreciates the value of one LPS contract, others should follow. Pharmacists should not hesitate to make preliminary enquiries of their PCT boards — there really is nothing to lose.

The accelerated mechanism for switching the status of POMs to P was announced this week (p598). The mechanism was proposed earlier this year (PJ, 5/12 January, p3). Although only one product has been fast-tracked (Flixonase Allergy nasal spray), more will join it. The gains for pharmacists from these fast switches are, in some ways, not so obvious. Some products, for example, will entail pharmacists undertaking additional training in order to accept they are competent to provide them (as was the case for emergency hormonal contraception).

However, the fact that both these announcements came so quickly after the consultative document on pharmacist prescribing was released (PJ, 27 April, p562) suggests that the Government is beginning to realise what community pharmacists, in particular, can offer the National Health Service. Having waited so long for signs of that recognition, the fact that it is happening so quickly may surprise some in the profession. But do not take that as an invitation to look on from the sidelines: it is up to pharmacists to pick up the baton and run.

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