Small pharmacies becoming unsaleable
Small pharmacies have been made unsaleable by the new pharmacy contract, this week’s conference
of local pharmaceutical committees has been told.
David Kent, secretary of Camden and Islington LPC, said that 48 of the
108 pharmacies in his area had been put at risk by the new contract.
At least two sales had fallen through since Christmas. The exit payment
on offer to small pharmacies that wished to close in the first year of
the contract was worth less than trading for a further two years and
then closing down. Local pharmaceutical services contracts offered no
real alternative because the PCT had indicated that it would choose which
pharmacies could have them.
Roger King (Dorset LPC) said that this situation was not unique to the
cities.
PSNC member Sid Dajani said that the new contract had been debated and
overwhelmingly accepted after a ballot.
“We should move on to how we can support those pharmacies that
provide value but fall foul of the new contract. … I hope that nobody
goes
away today thinking that these contractors are going to be thrown to
the dogs.”
PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe said that the exit payment agreement
was the best that could be achieved by negotiation. The DoH had agreed
to offer the payment to all small pharmacies (PJ, 19 February, p197). |
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