The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7254 p850
21 June 2003

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MPs divide politically over vote on pharmacy and competition policy

The House of Commons has rejected an opposition motion praising the abilities of community pharmacists and expressing concern about changes which might reduce the quality of their services in favour of one supporting regulatory changes.

Forty seven Labour members of Parliament voted against the opposition motion despite having previously signed an identically worded early-day motion (PJ, 8 March, p323), splitting the vote down party lines.

Tim Yeo (Con, South Suffolk) pressed the Government to explain what it meant by "a balanced package of measures" to alter pharmacy regulation. Neither the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Patricia Hewitt) nor the newly appointed Minister for Public Health (Rosie Winterton) provided an answer.

However, Mrs Hewitt clearly stated that health policy was not a matter for the Office of Fair Trading and that the OFT was not the final arbiter of the impact of Government regulations. "The OFT's job is to examine competition, not to decide health policy," she said. The Government valued the contribution of community pharmacies to health care and would do nothing to jeopardise that contribution.

Outlining a report of the Health Select Committee (see p849), its chairman, David Hinchliffe (Lab, Wakefield) said that the President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society was one of his constituents. She had badgered him long and hard about the potential for community pharmacies to play a larger role in the National Health Service and he had learnt a great deal from visiting her pharmacy.

Andy Burnham (Lab, Leigh) said that the OFT premise that a lack of competition meant that quality of service was patchy or poor had to be challenged. "That is not so. Most community pharmacies around the country provide an excellent and attentive service," he said.

Rounding off the debate, the newly appointed Minister of State for Health (Rosie Winterton) said that pharmacy services could not be seen solely in the context of competition. Much of the Government's approach was set out in "Pharmacy in the future" three years ago (PJ, 16 September 2000, p384). A consultation paper to build on this vision would be published shortly. The Government response to the OFT report would be published within the next few weeks. A draft framework for the new pharmacy contract would also be published soon.

"Our clear intention is for pharmacy to be recognised as a full contributor to primary care services," the minister said: "The first port of call for patients and consumers in discussing everyday health problems and a key driver in helping to reduce health inequalities. These principles will frame our response, a response that delivers a balanced package of measures promoting quality, choice and competition, but in the context of the wider health policy objectives."