Prescribing & Medicines Management
Issue no 2, p4
March/April 2003

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Make medicines management case with local GPs, pharmacists told

Pharmacists wishing to provide community medicines management services must be prepared to argue the case with their local GP practice in order to secure funding, according to new guidance published last month.

The guidance says that until medicines management services become part of the national pharmacy contract, any services pharmacists wish to provide will have to be negotiated and paid for through local funds. The message comes from a resource pack on medicines management published by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and its partners in the community pharmacy medicines management project, including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, the National Pharmaceutical Association and the Centre for Pharmacy Post-Graduate Education.

"Changes to the GP contract could mean that GPs will have greater flexibility in how they deliver services and this could include medicines management. This could mean that you will be negotiating directly with your local GP practice. In doing so, you may have to persuade the practice that a community pharmacy based practice is a better option than employing nurses or practice pharmacists to provide the service," states the guidance.

The resource pack advises pharmacists to make sure they know what the local health communities' priorities are, and plan services to fit with these. They should also be able to demonstrate improved health outcomes from any proposed medicines management service, and consider whether or not it would help the PCT or GPs meet local or national targets.

Pharmacists are advised to find out what the main local targets for their PCT are, and plan any proposed services around disease areas that fit into these objectives.

The medicines management resource contains extensive checklists for pharmacists wishing to provide such services, including space requirements for a consultation area in the pharmacy, education and training needs, how to plan and bid to provide a service, and working in partnership with primary care colleagues.

To download a copy of Community Pharmacy Medicines Management — A Resource Pack for Pharmacists, click here