Concerns expressed on control of entry reforms
Concerns have been expressed following last week's announcement
of new rules on the awarding of NHS community pharmacy contracts (PJ,
21 August, p245).
Liberal Democrat shadow health secretary, Paul Burstow MP, warned that
small independent pharmacies may be squeezed out, which would restrict
customer access to pharmacy services. “It is appalling that Ministers
have chosen to make this announcement in the summer recess. Parliament
must get proper scrutiny of the new rules when they are brought in. It
is important that the changes do not jeopardise access to new services
that pharmacies are providing,” he said.
Mr Burstow added: “Ministers have failed to consider the shortage
of pharmacists around the country. Allowing big shopping centres and
supermarkets aggressively to recruit more pharmacists will threaten community
and hospital pharmacies. These changes need to be evaluated, and their
impact on communities reviewed.”
Steve Dunn, group managing director of AAH Pharmaceuticals and chairman
of the British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, said that feedback
he had received from community pharmacists suggested that they were reassured
that the reforms had proved less dramatic than feared. However, they
still had reservations. “Though it has not been widened as far
as feared, the door to fresh competition has nevertheless been opened
and there is no guarantee that it will not swing further ajar in the
future,” he commented. The relaxation of controls for wholly internet
or mail-order pharmacies posed a definite risk, he added.
Numark’s marketing director, Andrew Sollitt, commented that Numark
remained deeply concerned about the proposed changes. “Our main
area of concern surrounds the ‘competition and choice’ criteria
with regard to the current regulatory test. There is a complete lack
of definition from the Department of Health as to what this means,” he
said. “We also wish to know what opportunities there will be for
representatives of pharmacy bodies to have input into the tests for competition
and choice.”
Altogether, the Government received 270 responses to its consultation
on reforming the control of entry regulations. Of these, 40 were from
local pharmaceutical committees, 53 were from pharmacy businesses, 66
were from NHS bodies and 63 were from members of Parliament. A further
48 were from representative groups, professional groups and individual
pharmacists. A summary of the responses was published on the Department
of Health’s website last
week. |
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