Pharmacy overlooked in commissioning proposals
Both the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Company Chemists' Association are calling for appropriate scrutiny of commissioning in primary care to ensure that the process is transparent and the services commissioned are the most suitable for patients.
In their written responses to the Department of Health’s consultation
on a commissioning
framework for health and well-being (PJ, 10 March,
p270), the organisations say that the commissioning process must be inclusive.
The CCA argues that the community pharmacist is a well-trusted source
of advice on a wide range of health care issues but is too often overlooked
by commissioners when considering improving services to patients. “To
a large extent this is reflected in this document. Community pharmacy
has a substantial role to play if commissioners broaden their thinking
and take a more inclusive approach,” it says.
The Society wants to see a breadth of providers from different disciplines
operating on a level playing field created through easing market entry.
Information sharing is another area highlighted by both organisations.
The Society stresses that potential providers should have timely access
to relevant data about the populations they serve, including economic
data, data on secondary care admissions and data from the joint strategic
needs assessment proposed in the framework. “Only then will they
be able to determine which services are required and what they could
potentially provide,” it says. The CCA highlights that lack of
pharmacy read-and-write access to the electronic patient care record
will slow engagement with pharmacy and limit the development of innovative
services in both health and social care.
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