Financial stability for last phase of Scottish contract
Brian Stewart-Coxon/Dreamstime.com
New payments to help pharmacists prepare for AMS and CMS announced |
Keeping existing transitional remuneration arrangements in place will provide stability so that community pharmacists in Scotland can prepare for the introduction of the remainder of their new contract, the Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council said this week.
Details
of the financial deal were published last week by the Scottish
Executive Health Department. It explains that the transitional
remuneration framework established in 2006–07 is to be rolled forward
with a general 2 per cent uplift. The material change of circumstance
arrangements
will also stay in place. And there will be new payments to help pharmacists
prepare for the introduction of the acute medication service (AMS) and
the chronic medication service (CMS).
Commenting on the deal, Harry McQuillan, SPGC chief executive officer,
said: “This will ensure continuing stability during the current
phase of the new contract negotiations, as contractors start to prepare
for the introduction of AMS in autumn 2007 and CMS in April 2008. It
is vitally important that contractors are supported in these preparations
and, to that effect, it is proposed that contractors will receive ‘New
contract preparation payments’ for undertaking specific administrative
tasks which will eventually enable the introduction of these new services.
Details of this scheme are still the subject of discussion between SPGC
and SEHD and we will be able to make an announcement on this soon.”
Payment for the minor ailment service (MAS) will continue on the existing
tiered capitation basis, with the 2 per cent uplift. Some contractors
have expressed concerns over the impact that lapsing registrations (after
one year) would have on MAS payments. This is something the SEHD circular
says will be considered this year but, in the meantime, a safety measure
has been introduced: the monthly payment will not be allowed to fall
below the sum calculated for the number of patients a pharmacy had registered
on 31 March 2007.
Infrastructure support payments will continue at the current rate (£100
per month). Two additional infrastructure support payments are to be
introduced: a one-off payment to install software for AMS and CMS (£250
for each service) and recurring funding for the running and maintenance
costs of AMS and CMS software (a monthly payment of £100 for each
service). The SEHD circular adds that a further payment to incentivise
contractors to process prescriptions electronically (eClaim) is being
negotiated.
Other payments that remain in place are for model schemes, unscheduled
care support and sale of prepayment certificates. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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