Scottish stoma appliance supply service
Pharmacists in Scotland have until 20 December to decide if they want
to provide stoma appliances as part of a new service.
Details of the service are described in a Scottish Executive Health Department
letter published this week. Stoma supply will become a service in its
own right, separate from the new community pharmacy contract, and implemented
from April 2006.
From that date, only those pharmacists who have signed up to provide
the new service will be paid for dispensing items listed in part 6 of
the Scottish Drug Tariff (stoma appliances).
The service will continue to be based on supplying appliances against
prescriptions. Each product dispensed will attract a
dispensing fee of £13, compared with the current £1.20, and
the cost of the items
dispensed will be reimbursed according to prices established by Scottish
Healthcare Supplies. New standards will apply to the service and these
will be monitored by health boards.
Frank Owens, chairman of the Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council,
explained that, although provision of stoma appliances currently falls
within the scope of community pharmacy arrangements, the legislation
that will underpin the new pharmacy contract means that appliance-only
suppliers will no longer be able to be part of the pharmaceutical list.
Around 50 per cent of supplies are currently made through community pharmacy.
“
The SPGC is keen that pharmacy continues to play a major role in providing
that service. We are particularly appreciative of the policy intention
to establish a single dispensing fee. This places community pharmacy
and appliance suppliers on an equal footing, giving both sets of contractors
similar opportunity in meeting the needs of their patients,” said
Mr Owens. |
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