The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7228 p835
14 December 2002

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Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (www.psnc.co.uk)

Period-of-treatment fee to go?

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee has accepted proposals from the Department of Health to remove the threshold-quantity fee for the remainder of the financial year (2002–03) to avoid building an overpayment against the global sum. The PSNC says that because the proposal was not made until after its November meeting the committee was unable to debate the proposal or discuss any alternatives.

The threshold-quantity, or period-of-treatment, fee was introduced in 1987 to provide some protection to pharmacies that receive an unusually large proportion of prescriptions for long periods of treatment.

Sue Sharpe, chief executive of PSNC said: "The decision was difficult, and was made only by a narrow margin. A majority of the whole committee reluctantly opted in favour of accepting the proposal; some members feel strongly that this is not the best course of action. The committee will debate this at the next opportunity to consider the position for the next financial year."

The PSNC's decision to accept the Department's proposals has been criticised by former PSNC member Noel Baumber. He said: "I am infuriated by this seemingly subtle move and the motives behind it. Period-of-treatment fees are one of the few ways we have of sending money from the global sum to the places where it is most needed."

He added that for the majority of contractors to get the full benefit of any increase in fees, money has to be paid out in the professional allowance, or in fees that go towards difficult and expensive procedures, or in mechanisms that support the service infrastructure of community pharmacy.

"Put it into dispensing fees and — on aggregate — it devalues the contract for the majority by one third. Dispensing fees are not an equal share-out," he said.

Hemant Patel, secretary of the North-East London Local Pharmaceutical Committee believes that the PSNC had opportunities to consult on the matter via e-mail or at the PSNC conference held in Birmingham in November. "People can be forgiven if they conclude that there was no intention to consult on the decision," he said.