Wait for contract financial details continues
Community pharmacies in England are waiting for the Department of Health to approve a distribution model proposed by the Pharmaceutical
Services Negotiating Committee for the £1,766m to be paid next year under the new NHS pharmacy contract.
PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe said after last week’s PSNC meeting: “We
should in a short period of time be able to give contractors a meaningful
picture of what the new contract will mean to them.”
Mrs Sharpe declined to provide any pointers to how the money is likely
to be shared out, saying: “The PSNC is working hard to develop
a book that will provide all the relevant information contractors will
need.”
The PSNC is also planning a series of strategic health authority-based
meetings in conjunction with the NHS Confederation to bring local pharmaceutical
committees and primary care trusts together to improve the chances of
successful local contract implementation. LPCs are to be urged to ensure
that PCTs set up joint new contract implementation groups.
Mrs Sharpe said: “We want to ensure that strategic health authorities
make sure that PCTs implement the contract.”
Help for pharmacists wishing to develop new services is also to continue.
At the end of next month, the PSNC will start a series of three seminars
on providing diabetes services from community pharmacies. These meetings
follow from similar events last year on mental health services.
Mrs Sharpe said: “It is a developing contract, so we see opportunities
for the PSNC to identify practical ways in which community pharmacists
can support care of people in major chronic disease areas. This is part
of the integration of community pharmacy into primary care delivery.” |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader