UniChem convention
Participants enjoy lunch on the beach after the final business
session of the convention ends |
Our coverage of the UniChem convention, which
was held in Dubai from 26 September to 3 October, concludes this
week. It includes reports from Dawn Connelly (on the staff of
The Journal) on investment in information technology, the importance
of lobbying, pharmacist
prescribing and the new contract
UniChem 2004 The UniChem 2004 convention will
be held in two locations from 1 to 9 October. The first five
days will be spent at Sun City in South Africa. Participants
will then travel by chartered aircraft to Victoria
Falls in Zambia, for the final
two days of the convention.
|
We need
to invest in IT in order to
carry out our future roles
Dr Jim Smith: committed to building IT infrastructure |
Ministers are firmly committed to building a strong information technology
infrastructure for pharmacy, said Dr Jim Smith, chief pharmaceutical
officer for England. “We have recently begun discussions with
key stakeholders ... and we will issue a consultation document shortly,” he
informed convention participants.
The need for investment in IT was an issue highlighted by a number
of speakers throughout the convention.
Dr Smith told participants that the Government will take forward electronic
transmission of prescriptions as part of the National Health Service
national programme for IT, together with the electronic patient record,
electronic booking and other developments making up the Integrated
Care Record Service.
Access to patient records
He said that the Government recognises that to provide an effective and
safe service pharmacists need to have better access to information. “We
want community pharmacists to have routine access to the internet and
e-mail. And, in order to be able to carry out some of the enhanced
roles and services, we believe that, subject to patient consent and
confidentiality, pharmacists could have access to relevant parts of
patient records.”
Dr John Chisholm, chairman of the general practitioners’ committee
of the British Medical Association, also discussed access to patient
records. He believes that the confidentiality of personal health information
and the concept of informed consent to data sharing are precious. When
asked whether GPs will be comfortable with sharing patient records with
pharmacists, Dr Chisholm replied that he thinks there will be some resistance
to the sharing of clinical records, although personally he is in favour.
He also commented that some members of the public may be resistant because
of fear that their personal health information will be widely shared. “I
believe that there is a need for both public and professional debate
on data sharing and the implications of the Integrated Care Record Service,” he
said.
Mike Stone, former chief executive of the Patients Association, said
that patients need to be reassured that their records will remain confidential.
Beth Taylor, a member of the NHS modernisation board, also commented
on IT. She said that for many of the modernisation initiatives that she
has been involved in, appropriate access to IT has been the rate-limiting
step. “Despite much talk about connectivity, joining up all the
different elements that affect us is still problematic,” she said.
She explained that the position on connection to the NHSnet and access
to patient records is well summarised in the Government’s consultation
document “A vision for pharmacy in the new NHS”. “I
will continue to raise this issue at modernisation board level and emphasise
its importance if we are to deliver what is expected of us,” she
said.
John D’Arcy: vision document is lacking in area of IT |
NHSnet
During a question and answer session, Dennis Ogle, a community pharmacist
from Worcester, told participants that, with 64,000 patients on his
records, he carries more information on his computer system than his
local GPs. In view of this he finds it hard to believe that he is not
connected to NHSnet and asked the panel when this was going to happen.
Chris Town, chief executive, Greater Peterborough Primary Care Partnership,
replied that this was something he has been keen to pursue during the
new contract negotiations. He said that the expectation is that pharmacists
will be connected to NHSnet in the near future, although he could not
specify an exact date.
John D’Arcy, chief executive, National Pharmaceutical Association,
commented that in his opinion the pharmacy vision document is lacking
in the area of IT. “It is ducking the issue. It hasn’t really
said what IT system we need and where the resource is going to come from,” he
said.
Regarding NHSnet, he said that it is going to be very difficult, if not
impossible, to connect 12,500 pharmacies individually to NHSnet. “There
is going to need to be networks — and NPAnet provides one — that
will provide secure, firewalled access to it.” This will facilitate
and speed up the process of connection, he suggested.
Pharmacy needs to present a unified voice
Steve Duncan: unity is the most powerful weapon we have |
Pharmacy must be the instigator of change, the leader not the victim,
declared Steve Duncan, group retail director, Alliance UniChem Plc,
during a session entitled “Meeting the new challenges”.
Mr Duncan said that the profession’s response to the three recently
published documents, namely a vision for pharmacy, the Government’s
response to the Office of Fair Trading’s report and the framework
for the new pharmacy contract, will influence pharmacy for the next 25
years.
He demonstrated that these three documents are closely linked: “The
delivery of the vision relies on funding extra services, theses extra
services require investment, for us to invest our money we need a return,
and that return will be dictated by the new contract framework and the
new control of entry regulations.”
He urged participants to work together. “We must take the lead
and say to [health minister] Rosie Winterton: ‘The first item in
your vision document is called ‘Meeting the changing needs of the
patient’... ask us and we will tell you what your patients — our
patients — are saying and what they want from their pharmacies.
We will tell you about the successes we have had with new services, we
will model them for you ... and we will work with you to roll them
out nationally’.”
Mr Duncan also told participants to talk to their primary care trusts.
By bringing solutions to the PCTs we can begin to influence their priorities,
he said.
Unity is the most powerful weapon we have. Any minor voice of dissent
that is outraged when an idea they bring to the table is not adopted
is greatly weakening pharmacy’s position, he said. “I am
going to support the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. My
challenge to you is back them or sack them,” he added. Campaign at a local level
John D’Arcy encouraged participants to campaign at a local level. “It
is easy to assume that our professional and commercial prosperity is
dependent upon convincing [various] Government departments of pharmacy’s
value on a national basis. Individual pharmacies will always be a necessary
starting point to getting pharmacy’s message across,” he
said. “You must ensure that the local GPs, PCT and your patients
know exactly what you have got to offer and the value that you add to
improving health in your local community.”
Graham Jones, community pharmacist, Lambourn pharmacy, and overall winner
of the 2002 UniChem Great Business Awards, talked about building relationships
in the local community. He said that pharmacists’ strengths as
communicators with such a broad section of the community should make
them natural leaders. “We have a powerful voice, so we must use
it, whether it is to express opinions on the OFT report or to secure
public funding for a local project.”
Ken Clarke: you need to lobby |
Keep lobbying
You will need to approach your MP, and not enough pharmacists do, advised
Kenneth Clarke, a former Secretary of State for Health and senior non-executive
director, Alliance UniChem Plc, in a session on the role of the political
lobby.
Mr Clarke told participants that as a profession they have a lot of lobbying
to do over the next 12 months. “There are some immediate things
upon which I think the profession needs to get people’s perceptions
closer to the reality, so they understand where you are coming from and
what you can contribute,” he said.
First, the changing role of pharmacists: the Government’s vision
for pharmacy document is a step forward, it brings things into focus,
said Mr Clarke.
Secondly, the OFT report: “I would tell you to be cautious and
not to stop lobbying about that.” He said that the rebuttal of
the OFT report has confirmed one thing that he has always told pharmacists: “You
do have some clout.” However, he cautioned that the rebuttal was
based not only on the reaction of community pharmacists but also it was
based heavily on the reaction of the DoH. “The reaction is rather
fuzzy, it has some big exceptions, rather odd ones in my opinion ...
but it paves the way for more and it does pave the way for deregulation
to be returned to. It isn’t totally there and, with the public
and with MPs, the argument is still to be won,” he added.
On the new contract, Mr Clarke said: “The idea that it is all going
to be settled by April 2004 is fanciful nonsense.” On this matter,
pharmacists do need to lobby. Regarding funding, he remarked that it
is all still to play for. “I think the pharmacists have been a
bit unlucky in that they are coming along last in the queue for the negotiation
of contracts,” he said. “GPs have done very, well ... your
negotiators have got an uphill task.
“You need to demonstrate what value you are adding if you do get
your contract enhanced, and there is so little understanding of that in
the
general world I think you will need [to do] some lobbying,” he
recommended.
Mr Clarke offered advice to conference participants on how to lobby their
MP. “Do not just emphasise your self interest,” he said.
It is a good idea to address the wider interests of the constituents
that your MP represents. He also advised that participants should not
assume their MP has any great prior knowledge of pharmacy issues.
Pharmacist prescribing: an update
Of 100 pharmacists now training to be supplementary prescribers, 13 are
community pharmacists, and three of these are in London, said Paul Robinson,
Department of Health, during an update on the progress of pharmacist
prescribing.
Mr Robinson told participants that the curriculum for supplementary prescribing
was published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in November. “The
prescribing training course, at around 25 days, plus 12 days working with
a medical practitioner, is a big commitment,” he said. However, he
explained that the training can be spread over up to six months and many
of the courses include opportunities for open and distance learning.
During a question and answer session, Kalpesh Patel, Chesham, said that
he is disappointed that only three community pharmacists have enrolled
on the course in London. “It is my experience that while GPs are
keen to get a pharmacist involved, PCTs tend to be not so keen, and to
me it seems that that is a stumbling block.” How do we get around
this, he asked.
Paul Robinson replied: “It is a question of convincing the local
GP that there is a worthwhile partnership, that you’ve got a role
to play,” he said. He assured participants that there is ample money
available this financial year so there should not be any problems with
funding.
Sue Sharpe disagreed: “I would like to see a real commitment, really
investing in helping community pharmacists get there, and we all know that
that is going to need substantial funding and positive drive towards helping
many more than 100, in fact many more than 1,000, get going.”
OFT response has set direction of travel for pharmacy
The direction of travel for pharmacy was set in the Government’s
response to the OFT report, said Dr Jim Smith, chief pharmaceutical officer
for England, as he addressed participants about the new contract for community
pharmacists. “It is now important that pharmacists and their organisations
engage positively to make the new arrangements work for the benefit of
patients.”
The vision document is a consultation paper, said Dr Smith. “It is
your opportunity to help shape the future.” He said that there is
still time for people to respond to the document and urged participants
to read and consider carefully the themes set out in it.
During a question and answer session, Steve Duncan, group retail director,
Alliance UniChem Plc, commented that the Office of Fair Trading report
has done everything to suspend investment in pharmacy. He urged the Department
of Health to look carefully at when the contract regulations are going
to be reviewed again. He said that it was his understanding that the
regulations might be reviewed again within two to three years and he
suggested that
pharmacists would see this as a further disincentive to invest.
Dr Smith responded by confirming that there is a commitment to another
review by the OFT in three years’ time. “My view is that our
aim should be to demonstrate in those three years that the new framework
will work, will provide the investment, will deliver the services to patients,” he
said. “The danger will be that if we don’t engage and we don’t
deliver, the free market protagonists, who are active throughout Europe,
will return to this issue.”
Sue Sharpe: incentives must be tangible, measurable and fair |
Remuneration
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee is totally focused on
ensuring that the new contract delivers a future in which community pharmacy
is an attractive and rewarding career for pharmacists, and an investment
opportunity for the contractor who is committed to providing high quality
services for patients, said Sue Sharpe, chief executive, PSNC. She said
that the PSNC is keen to ensure that the new funding system contains
the right incentives and rewards for pharmacies.
Regarding the possibility that funding may be moved from national to local
budgets, Mrs Sharpe said that the PSNC has a clear view: “The national
contract must fund the community pharmacy service. If any money is transferred
to PCT budgets, this must be on the basis that the money is secure, and
that both the service and payments are fully protected, as is the case
with the GP contract.”
She also acknowledged that the contract must not contain disincentives
to provision of services by pharmacies with high dispensing volumes. “A
system which offers disincentives to volume could lead to a substantial,
expensive and unnecessary growth in the number of pharmacies,” she
said.
Mrs Sharpe went on to say that pharmacists will need to invest in training
and facilities in order to deliver the new services. “If the Government
is serious about future use of the pharmacy, there must be financial support
for these investment and training costs ... the incentives must be tangible,
measurable and fair.”
Retailing is no longer a dirty word, says Hemant Patel
Hemant Patel: dispels 10 myths about retailing |
Profit is a motive, but it is not the only motive for community pharmacists,
said Hemant Patel, secretary, North East London Local Pharmaceutical Committee.
“There has to be a profit element for all, not only to motivate but
also to reinvest,” he explained.
Mr Patel listed what he believes to be the 10 common myths about retailing:
• Retailing is not big business
• Retailing is easy, anyone can do it
• Strategy does not matter
• In retailing, products are all that matter
• Service is easy
• You can be everything to everyone
• Retailing is a high profit business
• If you open a pharmacy, they will come
• Retailing is an exact science
• Managing a retail business is a narrow, boring job
He then proceeded to dispel these myths before going on to talk about how
the retail pharmacy market place is changing.
“The new consumer now values quality over quantity, time over money
and intangible over tangible,” said Mr Patel.
“The future will most certainly be about providing one-to-one services
and mass customisation,” he predicted. To achieve this, community pharmacists
will need to:
• Use patient medication records to develop targeted clinical services
• Improve customer retention by developing relationships and establishing
relevance
• Increase their share of each customer’s purchasing power by offering
additional services
• Create new markets by developing diagnostic and post-dispensing clinical
services
• Develop and use databases to tell customers apart and group them for
specific and targeted marketing activities
Mr Patel emphasised that “instead of competing in a saturated market
for more business, it is easier to expand into, and develop, new markets
serving existing customers”.
He added that in contrast to the current method of waiting for consumers to
dictate the services we provide, the entrepreneurs of the future will identify
consumers’ needs and provide as many relevant services and products as
possible.
“Both the Government and the pharmaceutical industry are now seeking to
reach the public through our patient-friendly network of pharmacies. In terms
of opportunities, pharmacy has never been better placed,” he concluded.
YPG Pharmacy Project
The Young Pharmacists’ Group has raised over £100,000 towards
its YPG Pharmacy Project. The aim of the project is to establish a model
community pharmacy, where new methods of working can be tested and leading
edge practice developed. The location of the pharmacy has not yet been
finalised. |
