The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7493 p305
15 March 2008

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• Category M medicines
• Community pharmacy (3)
• Primary care contracts
• 100-hour pharmacies
• PCT commissioning
• Prescription charges
• Medicines use reviews
• Dispensing
• Minor ailment scheme
• Adverse drug reactions
• Asthma management (2)
• Non-practising status
• The Society

Letters to the Editor

Category M medicines

Excess payments could fund additional services

From Mr A. Lansley, MP

In response to my recent parliamentary questions, ministers have admitted the scale of excess payments for dispensing Category M medicines. My purpose in doing so has been twofold: first, to challenge the competence of the Government in managing the pharmacy contract, and, second, to expose the lack of the additional services which could have been commissioned with those resources.

I have been surprised by the response of some in the industry. They do not want the facts disclosed or discussed. “We cannot do this.” The implications are too important. This involves several billion pounds of public spending.

The facts are clear. Large and increasing overpayments in 2005–06 and 2006–07 have led to sharp subsequent cuts in category M prices. This boom and bust is not in pharmacy’s interests. Nor have I seen any evidence that the clawback has secured the taxpayer’s interest in relation to the £811m overpayments in total, up to the end of March 2007.

I have asked the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee to publish the quarterly profit margin figures in this financial year (in a letter dated 5 February). I have yet to receive a reply.

It is my job to challenge the Government, in the interests of the public, as patients and taxpayers. So I have challenged its management of the pharmacy contract. It is why I have championed the commissioning of additional services from pharmacies, especially in delivery of our public health objectives.

It is why I hope those who want to see the original purposes of the pharmacy contract achieved, join us in challenging the Government’s mismanagement of pharmacy services.

Andrew Lansley
Shadow Secretary of State for Health

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