“Reports from the
road”
The resource “Reports from the road”,
which will be available as a CD-ROM, can be ordered by contacting
the CPPE on 0161 778 4015
or by
e-mailing Jayne@cppe.man.ac.uk. Roadshow attendees will automatically
be sent a copy of the CD-ROM. |
New CPPE programme launched
A new training programme, “Public health — assessing
needs for pharmacy development”, consisting of two workshops
and an open learning workbook, has been launched by the CPPE. The
programme is aimed at groups such as local pharmaceutical committees
and pharmacy development groups to help provide an insight into
the needs assessment process and how routine data can be accessed
and
used to inform local service developments.
Further information can be found at the CPPE website (www.cppe.man.ac.uk).
For information on how to commission a workshop e-mail the CPPE
at info@cppe.man.ac.uk
An online medicines use review assessment facility for those intending
to offer advanced services is expected to be launched by the CPPE
in July. |
An information resource bringing together community pharmacists’ views
and concerns on the new pharmacy contract is being produced by the Centre
for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education in association with the National
Pharmaceutical Association. The resource, “Reports from the road”,
is based on the outcomes of three national roadshows, jointly held by
both organisations earlier this year, at which community pharmacy contractors
voiced their opinions on the new contract.
Paula Hayes, who runs programme design and support at the CPPE, was involved
in writing the material. She explains that as well as being a signpost
to help community pharmacists implement the new services set out in the
pharmacy contract, “Reports from the road” has been developed
to meet the needs of strategic health authority, primary care trust and
local pharmaceutical committee pharmacists. “It tells them what
community pharmacists are really saying about the new contract and gives
them an insight into where community pharmacists see themselves in the
future,” she says.
For community pharmacists, the resource also includes reports on what
contractors have done to move essential services forward, considers how
to plan for implementing advanced and enhanced services, and provides
a framework for discussing delivery of services in the future with PCTs. “The
framework will not provide all the answers,” Ms Hayes says. However,
it may help community pharmacists take the lead in encouraging their
PCTs to work with them in developing services. “One of the key
issues repeatedly discussed by contractors at the roadshows was a lack
of communication between PCTs and community pharmacists,” she says.
According to Matthew Shaw, assistant director, CPPE, jointly hosting
the roadshows has enabled the CPPE and the NPA to identify the concerns
of community pharmacy contractors and meet their needs at the same time.
Commenting on the views and concerns aired at the roadshows, he says: “As
the advanced services were then being taken up and enhanced services
being planned, many participants were feeling a little overwhelmed.” Their
main concerns centred around funding, staff and training issues, and
prioritising services. “There was some degree of confusion over
where money was coming from to fund the new services,” he says.
In addition, many pharmacists recognised that in order to offer the wide
range of services proposed in the contract, the whole pharmacy support
team would need to work together. This led to concerns about assuring
competence of the team and about the responsibilities that would be taken
on by pharmacy technicians. Standard operating procedures were suggested
as a way forward.
Prioritising services
In terms of prioritising services, pharmacists were mainly worried
about how they would manage all the new requirements in the contract,
particularly
in relation to keeping records, he says. Many community pharmacy contractors
were also worried about how hard it was to understand exactly what
was in the new contract and what it would mean for them in practice.
However, Mr Shaw reassures them that although they may still be frightened
by the idea of the new contract they do not need to be. “Most of
the enhanced services that community pharmacists want to deliver are
being successfully delivered somewhere in England or Wales, as are the
essential services listed in the new contract guides, and those delivering
the services are happy to share their experiences,” he says.
Ashok Soni, proprietor of Copes Pharmacy, Streatham, London, and immediate
past chairman of the NPA, gives his perception of participants’ thoughts: “Overall,
I would say that pharmacists recognised that the new contract represented
a movement away from the comfort zone of simply dispensing prescriptions
in the new era. They just need to be proactive rather than reactive,” he
says.
In terms of providing essential services, Mr Soni says that contractors
had major worries about clinical governance and its implementation — in
particular about what contractors would be required to do and how PCTs
would expect clinical governance to be delivered. However, “a lot
of fears disappeared” once pharmacists realised they already practised
clinical governance in some areas of practice, he says.
There were also concerns about whether PCTs would be able to deliver
their parts of the new contract, such as signposting and medicines waste
disposal. Commenting on discussions about providing advanced services,
he adds: “There was a poor understanding of what a medicines use
review (MUR) actually involved. Most people perceived this as a level
three medication review and were unsure that GPs would accept their
recommendations.”
Eddie Newell, proprietor of Blackbird Pharmacy, Leicester, and chairman
of Leicestershire LPC, spoke highly of the roadshow he attended and its
format. As well as providing a forum for discussion, he says, that it
enabled him to see that what was being implemented in his pharmacy was
actually being “mirrored by other pharmacists”. He says it
also helped other community pharmacists to become more informed about
the contract and share ideas about solving problems that they had encountered.
However, Mr Newell is worried that a lot of contractors still do not
know what to do. He advises: “It is almost too late to start the
process, but it is not too late to really concentrate and get everything
up and running for October.”
He suggests that contractors use the resources that are available to
them. “I am not sure what is going to happen in October to those
pharmacists that have not actually achieved any of their essential services
contracts. But I do not think you should give PCTs the opportunity to
withdraw contracts.” |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal