Pharmacists may lose out on blood glucose strips
Blood glucose strips could be dispensed at a loss from August |
Pharmacy contractors in England and Wales will be asked to dispense almost 90 per cent of blood glucose strips at a loss from August if the Government goes ahead with plans to reduce Drug Tariff prices, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee says.
In its response to the Department of Health’s changes
to arrangements for the provision of dressings and chemical reagents to primary care
(PJ, 13 May, p556), the PSNC says that most blood glucose monitoring
strips are currently available to pharmacies at, or just below, the current
Drug Tariff price. “The change in reimbursement price without a
corresponding change in trade prices throughout the supply chain will
result in pharmacy contractors being asked to dispense 87 per cent of
blood glucose strips at a loss from August,” the PSNC says. Similarly,
pharmacy contractors will be asked to dispense many bandages, swabs and
dressings at a loss if reimbursement prices are decreased without corresponding
changes to trade prices throughout the supply chain, it adds.
“To protect patient access, it is essential that safeguards are
put in place to ensure that pharmacy contractors are fully reimbursed
for the
cost of purchasing test strips and are able to make a fair return on
dispensing these products. We are willing to work constructively with
the DoH on the detail of these controls,” the PSNC says. |
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