Essential small pharmacies scheme to end
The Essential Small Pharmacies Scheme, which has for many years sustained predominantly rural pharmacies in England and Wales that would otherwise be unviable, is to come to an end.
The arrangements will cease on 31 March 2006. It is expected that a standard
local pharmaceutical services (LPS) contract will be introduced for pharmacies
that meet criteria similar to those for the ESPS.
Currently, essential small pharmacy status is available to pharmacies
that dispense fewer than 26,400 prescription items a year and are at
least 1km from any other pharmacy by the shortest practicable route.
Such pharmacies — there are 244 of them in England and Wales — have
their NHS dispensing income topped up by up to £4,130 a month.
Alastair Buxton, head of NHS services at the Pharmaceutical Services
Negotiating Committee, said: “The conversion of
the ESPS to an LPS is a move towards
simplification, which recognises that ESPS pharmacies achieve one of
the objects of LPS by permitting specific local needs for
pharmacy services to be met where local conditions make the normal national
contract arrangements and funding unsuitable. PSNC will work to ensure
that this change does not in any way adversely affect the interests or
financial viability of the present ESPS
pharmacies.” |
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