Manchester pharmacists sign up for monitoring pilot
Pharmacists are to conduct blood tests
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Community pharmacists in Greater Manchester are to offer patient monitoring
for diabetes and dyslipidaemia as part of a national pilot funded by
the Department of Health.
Twenty-two pharmacists from four primary care trusts have signed up to
the scheme and will be paid £42.50 per patient per year up to a
maximum of 150 patients each, in a contract negotiated with the Greater
Manchester Strategic Health Authority. They have been able to claim up
to £10,000 capital costs for building a consulting room on their
premises. Up to £5,000 worth of monitoring and computer equipment
has also been provided to each of them.
The monitoring being carried out is HbA1c for diabetes, cholesterol and
triglyceride for diabetes and the prevention of coronary heart disease.
The project, which will run for 18 months, also includes the option in
the future of providing international normalised ratio testing for patients
on anticoagulant treatment. The annual payment for this will be £90
per patient, up to a maximum of 40 patients per pharmacy.
Vivienne Farrell, secretary of Stockport Local Pharmaceutical Committee,
is one of the pilot pharmacists and expects to see her first patient
in the New Year. She said: “The patients will be those with diabetes
or cardiac problems whom the GP considers to be relatively stable. This
pilot will expand our clinical skills.”
Ms Farrell was reluctant to commit herself to providing the monitoring
as an enhanced service under the new pharmacy contract once the pilot
runs out.
She said: “The monitoring equipment is owned by the SHA and it
will depend on what it decides. Also, under the pilot I am only able
to monitor those patients involved in the scheme. I can’t use the
machines for monitoring others who may request a test.”
Clinical protocols for the pilot have been developed with the strategic
health authority and pharmacists have also been trained to use the monitoring
machines and interpret the readings.
The monitoring results will be sent back to the GP practice via computer,
with the GP retaining clinical responsibility for the patient. The PCTs
involved in the pilot are Salford, Stockport, Oldham, and Ashton, Leigh
and Wigan. |
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