The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7245 p533
19 April 2003

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Period of treatment fee suspension extended

Reinstatement of the period of treatment fee from April has been refused by the Department of Health.

Members of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee heard at their April meeting that the Department had insisted that the fee, temporarily suspended last year, should be considered as part of an overall remuneration settlement for 2003–04. Figures from the Department show that 92 per cent of contractors used to gain less than 3 per cent of their fee income from the fee and 99 per cent gained less than 4 per cent.

The PSNC has not yet formulated a remuneration claim for 2003–04. It is waiting for a predicted increase in prescription numbers from the Department. PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe said: "Volume increases are so critical to evaluating the impact of a claim that we will not reasonably be able to prepare a figure until we have a better view of volume for the coming year."

The PSNC is also discussing with the Department different ways of reimbursing contractors for generic medicines they have dispensed.

Mrs Sharpe said that there had been a significant increase in the numbers of PCTs showing interest in centralised purchasing outside the established Drug Tariff arrangements. This follows the publication of a report by the auditor-general for Wales which had said that the practice could cut primary care drug costs by an eighth (PJ, 29 March, p430).

The PSNC is seeking urgent legal advice on the matter.