The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7378 p681
3 December 2005

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News summary

Welsh solution to MDS dilemma sought

Health and social care professionals in Wales are hoping to find a way of providing monitored dosage systems (MDSs) for patients who would benefit from them but who do not qualify for them under the new NHS pharmacy contract.

A meeting to this end is to be held by the Welsh Assembly for Community Pharmacy Wales, the General Practitioners Committee (Wales), local health boards and local authorities to discuss alternative funding for MDSs.

The new contract requires pharmacists to dispense medicines in MDSs for patients who need them after an assessment by the pharmacist has found that they have disabilities that make normal dispensing containers unsuitable. No extra payment is available to meet the cost of any MDSs provided.

In the meantime, Community Pharmacy Wales and the General Practitioners Committee (Wales) have written jointly to all community pharmacies and GPs in Wales to explain the situation (PDF 70K). The letter makes it clear that MDSs are not available from the NHS on request.