Prescribing

ESPAUR reveals antibiotic consumption data

Penicillins, tetracyclines and macrolides remain the most common drug classes prescribed in 2016.

Special Products rebrands as Veriton Pharma

The company says that the name change reflects its heritage combined with its future ambition.

Antibiotic advance hailed in fight to beat superbugs

Scientists have given new superpowers to a lifesaving antibiotic.

Marketing authorisation for Epistatus

Epistatus 10 mg Oromucosal Solution (Midazolam) has been granted a UK marketing authorisation.

CQC takes further action against online prescription services

The Care Quality Commission has published inspection reports on four more providers, which detail examples of people being put at risk of harm.

Coping with Capita

Tuesday July 5

I am at a Southwark commissioners’ meeting this evening. It has been called by members of the local GP federation. They wish to learn more about our LPC’s service-provider model with a view to working for mutual benefit. There are suggestions of operating through Local Care Networks in the presentations.

GP federations have been funded to assist with their set up, whereas our provider company has not. A key difference is that GPs seem to have used their funds to create various remunerated positions and are looking to make them sustainable through additional funding of commissioned services.

We have, on the other hand, started a low-cost model without extensive infrastructure or office facilities, opting instead to pay for administration costs through top-slicing monies received for services. This, to me, seems to be a more efficient model than PCT-like administrations with associated costs and red tape.

Special requests

We take a look at recent developments in the specials market