The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7356 p18
2 July 2005

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· Annual General Meeting
· Registration
· Pharmacology
· Controlled drugs
· Technicians
· Birdsgrove House
· Registration examination
· Revalidation
· Supermarket pharmacy
· Dispensing
· New pharmacy contract
· PCTs
· The Society

Letters to the Editor

New pharmacy contract

New oxygen contracts

From Mrs B. Loder, ACT

I work in an independent community pharmacy where we have many patients on oxygen who are heavily reliant on us for our prompt service and delivery. They telephone us frequently to say they have run out of oxygen,because they have forgotten to order it, forgotten to turn it off, or sometimes because they cannot change the headset.

Our delivery driver will go out and change headsets for patients. We then phone the surgery and explain the problem, order more oxygen for the patient, and then ask if we can deliver some in an emergency. Either we do this or the patient ends up calling 999 just to get the oxygen they need.

When the new contract comes into force, will the new contractors be able to go right out with a delivery or change the headset for them? I do not think it will work that way do you? A 24-hour helpline is all very well but will it deliver oxygen when needed, usually after a panicky phone call?
I hope the Government has given every thought about this for the people it will most affect, our patients.

Brenda Loder
Barnstaple, North Devon

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