PJ Online | PJ Letters: Drug tariff

Home > PJ (current issue) > Letters | Search

	The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 270 No 7254 p860 21 June 2003	This page Reprint Photocopy
		PDF* 85K

Letters

  Modernisation
  The Profession
  The Charter
  Drug tariff
  BNF
  Rural alliance

Letters to the Editor

* PDF files on PJ Online require Acrobat Reader 4 or later.

Drug tariff

Broken bulk rules require review

From Mr C. E. H. Thimbleby, MRPharmS

An excerpt from my local primary care trust's newsletter — "a reminder to community pharmacists that dressings are listed singly in the Drug Tariff so can be supplied as such when required. Some reluctance continues to be shown in this area ...".

The exclusion of dressings (Part 9A of the Drug Tariff) from the broken bulk rules may have been acceptable 15 years ago when the wound management list consisted of a few gauze swabs and a crepe bandage but a scan through this month's Tariff at the basic price of modern dressings makes for frightening reading. For example, five Mepitel dressings 20 x 30cm cost £72.30. You can image my "reluctance" in dispensing a prescription last week — something I am contractually obliged to do — for one of these dressings. The reduced dispensing fee I receive for this prescription also added to my cheery demeanour. The remainder of this pack is now sitting with my other dead dressings stock (an item's popularity does not long survive a visit from the medical representative to the practice/district nurse).

Although I appreciate the need for the PCT to adhere to its budget, is it the job of the community pharmacy to prop up the NHS in this way? It is high time the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee took this matter up with the Department of Health. If they are unwilling to amend the rules, perhaps consideration should be given to stipulating that dressings must be supplied by the manufacturer in singles in order to remain in the Tariff. This would undoubtedly reduce overuse, wastage and costs. The profession would also be left with more cash to spend on other NHS subsidies, like deliveries, advice and monitored dosage systems.

Christian Thimbleby
Titchfield, Hampshire

GORDON GEDDES, head of information and technical services, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, comments:

The question of broken bulk on appliances in Part IXA of the Drug Tariff is actively under discussion with the Prescription Pricing Authority. As part of a series of negotiations on the simplification of the Drug Tariff reimbursement rules, broken bulk, in all its aspects, is scheduled to be discussed towards the end of July with the Department of Health and the PPA. The PSNC hopes to be able to report on the outcome of these discussions later on this year.

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (The Charter)
Next Topic (BNF)