LPC Conference

LPC representatives heard positive messages about pharmacy’s standing within the NHS at their annual conference in Leeds on October 15. PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe admitted that, although it had been “a long time coming”, this year’s financial settlement would replace the “boom and bust” of the past.

PSNC was also considering how to level out the impact of local prescribing mix on reimbursement. Later in October, NHS chief executive Simon Stevens was due to publish the NHS Five Year Forward View, which would draw on the healthcare professions’ calls to action. “We put in a really good message and a fairly consistent message.”

Also this year, which was the 100th anniversary of the formation of the first LPC: Professor Keith Willett, NHS England’s Director for Acute Episodes of Care, had said that pharmacists should be nationally commissioned to decrease the burden on A&E and GPs; the British Journal of General Practice advocated the transfer of care to pharmacy for people with hypertension; and the Royal College of Physicians had published its asthma report, which advocated a role for pharmacists. “There’s a lot going on,” said Mrs Sharpe.

NMS is here to stay

Messages about MURs and NMS were positive and indicated a desire to use pharmacy as a service provider. “I don’t think we’re looking at an environment where national commissioning won’t happen.” Regulations had been written to make NMS an ongoing service. “It’s now embedded into the core contractual services. NMS is here to stay.”

There had been a “small but noticeable” improvement in prescription pricing accuracy by the NHSBSA. The rolling average was 98.5 per cent accuracy.
LPC representatives discussed the case for national service specifications, the direction of the national service framework, future IT needs and prescription direction. They voted, by a majority of two to one, that MURs and NMS should become essential services.

And they heard from Steve Lutener, head of regulation at PSNC, how an NHSE task force was considering prescription direction but that it was keen to take patient preference into account. The DH preferred guidance on the matter to legislation, while Mr Lutener believed regulation was required.