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On 17 January 2003 the Office of Fair Trading recommended liberalisation of the pharmacy market

NEWS 2006

17 June
Government reviews control of entry reforms

NEWS 2005

See also News archive

16 April
Asda announces new pharmacies

8 April
Implementation of the Government response to the Office Of Fair Trading report on “The control of entry regulations and retail pharmacy services in the UK”

12 March
Regulations guidance explains entry test exemptions

5 March
Draft guidance on pharmacy regulations published

11 February
Pharmaceutical regulations to be reviewed by Cabinet Office this year

Related websites

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Recent links (4 September)
DoH: Proposals to reform and modernise the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1992 more

•  UK Parliament: Government to reject total deregulation of pharmacy (21 March)

•  New Economics Foundation, 6 March
    Ghost town Britain: A lethal prescription (PDF 1.6 MB), requires Acrobat Reader 5
    One community pharmacy a day could go under new rules (5 March)

•  National Pharmaceutical Assocation (NPA), 6 March
    Response to OFT report (PDF 145K)

•  Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 6 March
    Response to OFT report (PDF 15K)

• The Guardian article ("Counter culture: Is there room for supermarket pharmacies and traditional outlets to survive side by side?"), 9 April
• The Guardian article ("Local chemists under threat "), 17 January
• The Scotsman article ("OFT ruling takes fight to chemists"), 18 January
• The Times article ("Chemist's shops fear they will go out of business"), 18 January
• The Guardian article ("Find a new prescription"), 24 January
• BBC news ("Head to head: Chemist reform")

• PM Live ("A different ballgame")
• The Dispensing Doctors' Association
    "Pharmacy shake-up?"
    "DDA assess impact of OFT proposal"
   "Contact your local MP or Assembly Member"

• Consumers' Association welcomes OFT recommendation to liberalise pharmacy market

• Highland Council
    Meeting (27 February)
    Response to the OFT report (PDF 35K)

•  Scottish Executive: Health department
    OFT report and consultation
    Consultation responses (links require Acrobat Reader)

•  Epilepsy Action
    News (20 January)

•  UK Parliament: Community pharmacies debate more (March 13)


Commercial
• Boots ("Response to OFT Report — Boots to open more pharmacies")
• Surelines Pharmaceutical Services
   ("It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times")
• Binley's ("Community pharmacists 'could face wipe-out'")

Rural
• Country Doctor
    "Responses by pharmacy and others"
    "OFT Report: a danger to dispensing"
    "DDA gets it wrong again"

• NFU Countryside ("Bitter pill for rural pharmacies")
• Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)

Home pages
• Chemist & Druggist Online (more)
• National Pharmaceutical Association (www.npa.co.uk)
• Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (www.psnc.co.uk)
• Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council (www.42queenstreet.org.uk)

Letters

2004
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 6 November more

2003
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 12 April more
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 29 March more
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 22 March more
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 15 March more
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 8 March more and more
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 1 March more
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 22 February more
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 15 February more
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 8 February more
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 1 February more
• Pharmaceutical Journal, 25 January more

How, when and where to comment

An official response to the OFT report is expected within 90 days of the report's publication. Those who wish to comment on OFT's findings should contact:

Regarding England Peter Dunlevy, Community Pharmacy Policy Manager, Pharmacy and Prescriptions Branch, Department of Health, 155 Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS (e-mail peter.dunlevy@doh.gsi.gov.uk).

Regarding Scotland Anne MacLeod, Primary Care Division, Scottish Executive Health Department, 1ER, St Andrew's House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG (e-mail anne.macleod@scotland.gsi.gov.uk).

Regarding Wales Carolyn Poulter, Head Pharmaceutical Services Branch, Primary Care Division, Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ (e-mail carolyn.poulter@wales.gsi.gov.uk).

DTI The DTI has a general interest in OFT's market studies. Queries should be addressed to Rosita Hill, Consumer and Competition Policy Directorate, 6.10, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET (tel 020 7215 6260, e-mail rosita.hill@dti.gsi.gov.uk).

NEWS ARCHIVE

NOVEMBER 2004
27 November
Reid admits there may be advantages for multiples more

6 November
Letters to the PJ more


OCTOBER 2004
20 October
New European policy could abolish control of entry whatever NHS wants more

9 October
OFT says Drug Tariff may impede competition more


AUGUST 2004
27 August
Concerns expressed on control of entry reforms more

23 August
New improved rules on control of entry announced more


MARCH 2004
13 March
“Move or lose” contract threat in Scottish proposals more

5 March
Warning over new wave of contract judicial reviews more


JANUARY 2004
9 January
Control of entry changes report due shortly more


DECEMBER 2003
18 December
• Local pharmacies still under threat more

5 December
• Charities question control of entry reform more
• OFT recommendations more

1 December
• Control of entry exemptions should not be the norm more
• MPs sign control of entry motion more


NOVEMBER 2003
20 November
Government's way of changing control of entry is ultra vires, Numark claims more

7 November
Restart control of entry lobby, urges NPA more


OCTOBER 2003
17 October
PSNC tells LPCs how to respond to control of entry consultation more

3 October
Control of entry reform group named more

SEPTEMBER 2003
19 September

British Pharmaceutical Conference
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society's President's address more
• Health Minister's address more
• Chief Pharmaceutical Officers — Control of entry more

12 September
Control of entry changes warning (News) more

5 September
Details of DoH control of entry proposals published (News) more

4 September
Is it a balanced package of measures? (News feature) PDF (50K)


AUGUST 2003
15 August
Entry plans are “deregulation by stealth” (News) more

8 August
Clarification sought on control of entry exemptions (News) more


JULY 2003
25 July
• New contract in danger without more clarity on control of entry, PSNC warns (News) more
• Government to loosen regulations on control of entry (News) more
• Is this deregulation by the back door? (News feature) more

18 July
Lobbying continues ahead of OFT report response by Government (News) more

4 July
OFT report still due out in middle of July (News) more


JUNE 2003
20 June
• MPs say market must not control pharmacy services (News) more
• MPs divide politically over vote on pharmacy and competition policy (News) more

17 June
NHS must keep control of pharmacy services (News) more

14 June
• All party group queries lead on response to OFT (News) more
• Should pharmacy join the rural alliance to widen its lobbying against the OFT? (News feature) more


MAY 2003
23 May
Keep lobbying MPs, NPA urges members (News) more

2 May
• New NPA chairman says "Keep up OFT pressure" (News) more
• Community pharmacies and the OFT report — the clock is still ticking (Comment) more


APRIL 2003
17 April
City council support for plans to open up pharmacy market (News) more

11 April
• Confusion over Scottish pharmacy regulations and competition (News) more
• Safeway rejects OFT (News) more
• April Council meeting more

9 April
Counter culture: Is there room for supermarket pharmacies and traditional outlets to survive side by side? (The Guardian) more

7 April
• Chancellor favours deregulation (News) more
• Pharmacists urged to continue campaigning against the Office of Fair Trading's call for deregulation (News) more
• Conflicting views expressed over Parliamentary responses to OFT report (News) more
• Customers worried about loss of pharmacies (News) more


MARCH 2003
28 March
• Scotland and Wales reject OFT report and Westminster seeks compromise (News) more
• OFT loses first two sets but the match is most likely to end in a tie-break (News feature) more

21 March
• Government to reject total deregulation of pharmacy (Daily news) more
• OFT test not appropriate says Society (News) more
• Scots MPs urged to lobby Cabinet group (News) more

19 March
Department receives 1,000 responses to OFT report (Daily news) more

13 March
UK Parliament: Community pharmacies debate more

12 March
• MPs oppose deregulation (Daily news) more
• Deregulation survey organised by Nucare collects 5,000 responses (Daily news) more

6 March
• OFT figures under fire in responses to ministers (News) more
• Welsh Assembly seeking to block OFT report (News) more
• Former OFT director calls deregulation "a jump in the dark" (News) more
• MPs still signing pharmacy EDMs (News) more


FEBRUARY 2003
28 February
Let us move towards a more logical and flexible approach to contract regulation (Comment) more

27 February
• Politicians are petitioned (News) more
• Not too late to lobby MPs, says NPA V-C (News) more

26 February
Members of Parliament join in expressing concerns over OFT report (Daily news) more

21 February
• Put stress on patients' interests in any reponses to OFT report, MP advises (News) more
• Pharmacists take action on the OFT report against deregulation (News) more

14 February
• Numark launches lobbying campaign against OFT report (News) more
• IPMI says health before commerce (News) more
• MSPs want to know who has the power to change contract controls (News) more
• Early Day Motions gain support (News) more
• All Party Pharmacy Group: GPs oppose deregulation (News) more
• Does corporate pharmacy threaten evidence-based practice and policy? (Article, PJ) more
• Society February Council meeting more

12 February
• End of month deadline set for written comments (Daily news) more

6 February
• NPA to produce local campaigns pack to help pharmacists oppose OFT report (News) more
• Supermarket pharmacy provides for proper discussion with patients more
• Why the OFT report is so seriously flawed more


JANUARY 2003
31 January
OFT chief denies conflict of interest in pharmacy report (News) more

30 January
• Concerns expressed about rural dispensing after deregulation (Daily News) more
• Reactions to OFT report, for and against more

29 January
• Health Secretary prepared to over-rule OFT proposal (Daily news) more
• APPG pharmacy contract meeting (Daily news) more

25 January
• Scrap contract regulations, says OFT (News) more
• Dismal science sells pharmacy short (Leading article, PJ) more
• Deregulation of community pharmacy receives little support from profession (News feature) more
• OFT the beaten track? (Article, PJ) more

23 January 2003
MP tables motion opposing OFT pharmacy recommendation (Daily news) more

17 January 2003
Scrap contract regulations, says the OFT (Daily news) more