The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7473 p392
13 October 2007

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CCA does not trust PCTs to hold pharmacy money

Concern over the ability of primary care trusts in England to take responsibility for the global sum for NHS pharmaceutical services has been expressed by the Company Chemists' Association because of PCTs' poor record in implementing and paying for locally negotiated services.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee has added that it knows of one PCT that had started to manipulate the system in advance of the change.

Responding to a Department of Health proposal that the global sum be devolved to PCTs after April 2009 (PJ, 28 July, p89), the CCA said that the global sum should not be handed down at this stage. It said that the experience of its members was that fees for locally funded services were not always paid, that payments were often late, and that they could often not be reconciled with claims.

The CCA said that it wants to see an explanation of how spending will be monitored if the change is made to ensure that money due to pharmacy does not get diverted to pay for other PCT services.

“This shift will undoubtedly change PCT behaviour, but possibly in ways that make it harder, rather than easier, for pharmacy to develop,” Rob Darracott, CCA chief executive, said. “To avoid such unintended consequences, pharmacy needs to press the DoH to match these changes with incentives for the development and integration of pharmacy in local care pathways.”

Similar concerns have been expressed by the PSNC, although it is happy to see the global sum transferred to PCTs, subject to safeguards to protect nationally negotiated agreements.

The PSNC said: “The inconsistent commissioning of enhanced services by PCTs has demonstrated why the PSNC and pharmacy contractors were committed to a national model. Any proposal which could have the effect of undermining fair reimbursement and a fair return on investment would be vigorously opposed by the PSNC and pharmacy contractors.”

The PSNC response also said that one PCT, which it did not name, had decided to encourage GPs to write prescriptions for shorter periods with the stated aim of increasing the number of prescriptions before the global sum was devolved so that it would receive a greater allocation of funds when the shift took place.