BOC's pursuit of cylinders is unacceptable
BOC's continued pursuit of cylinders it believes to be lost or missing is unacceptable, the National Pharmacy Association argues.
In a statement, chief executive John D’Arcy repeated the NPA’s
call, first made in April, for BOC to follow the lead of Medigas and
Air Products.
“While other oxygen suppliers (eg, Medigas and Air Products) have
announced that they will not pursue pharmacies for lost or missing cylinders,
BOC
is continuing with this line. Affected pharmacies have engaged in the
provision of an oxygen service over many years and now run the risk of
[being penalised for an] inability to reconcile their cylinders. The
whole situation is unacceptable,” he said.
A spokesman for BOC confirmed that the company’s position regarding
charges for cylinders has not changed and that the company still has
no intention to charge rental on 1,360-litre Drug Tariff cylinders to
customers with whom it normally trades and has agreed cylinder holdings.
Last week, BOC also announced that, since transfer of patients to the
new service is not complete, it will continue, until 1 October, to supply
oxygen cylinders to community pharmacies in England and Wales, except
for those in the eastern and north eastern regions, where transition
to the new service is complete and so no further supplies to pharmacies
are expected. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader