In Views

Follow this topic

Bookmark

Record learning outcomes

Independent pharmacists get in touch with ICP magazine to get things off their chest…

I told my children I’ll support them through university on one condition – they don’t do pharmacy
I have just sold a pharmacy. If I hadn’t done so, I would probably have had a breakdown of some sort.

I will never work in a pharmacy ever again. We were just being asked to do more and more for no extra reimbursement. Last year was the first Christmas in 20 years that I was not worried or stressed and working 16-hour days.

I am retraining as a carpenter. I have also told my children that I will support them through university on one condition – they don’t do pharmacy.

Ben, former pharmacy owner.

LPC levy represents poor value for money

What is deeply frustrating is that pharmacies are expected to work relentlessly, only to discover that Drug Tariff prices are frequently set below the actual purchase cost of medicines.

In effect, we are being asked to dispense at a loss. To make matters worse, the NHS then applies a further 12 per cent “discount” to itself, compounding the financial damage.

This is not sustainable. It systematically strips pharmacies of fair remuneration while still demanding ever increasing workloads, compliance and clinical responsibility.

On top of this, the LPC levy represents poor value for money. Despite mandatory contributions, support is minimal, meaningful advocacy is lacking and they are often uncontactable when pharmacies need them most.

At a time when community pharmacies are struggling to survive, this absence of effective representation only adds to the sense that the system is stacked against us. 

Kamal Nathwani, The Wellness Pharmacy, London.

Helping patients is NOT something GPhC inspections record

I submit multiple emails to local surgeries on behalf of patients. I use email because this is the most efficient way of communicating all the necessary information.

It respects my time, it respect the surgery’s time. All these emails are in the interest of patients. Common themes are for a POM that is unavailable and what the best available alternative is and prescriptions that have been written incorrectly.

Recently, a young lady was told by her GP surgery to go to the pharmacy for treatment of her cough. Upon my questioning, I discovered her cough had persisted for two months and she was cough up blood.

But the surgery just heard the word ‘cough’, so it was ‘don't bother us, go the pharmacy’. These emails are essential. They are what helps patients.

I spend on average an hour a day on these tasks. Because of that, our pharmacy was behind on date-checking. And that was what the GPhC inspector picked up during their surprise inspection in mid-December.

So, I'm a bad pharmacist because I ignored date-checking. Helping patients is NOT something the GPhcC records.

Practicing pharmacist, Edinburgh, Scotland.

GPs are unclear about scope of Pharmacy First PGDs

GPs remain unclear about the scope of our Pharmacy First patient group directions and the clinical pathways, for example, referral for a patient with flank pain with a UTI.

It leads to frustration for both us and GPs and ultimately, this affects the patient if we cannot treat them.

Rifat Asghar-Hussain, superintendent pharmacist, Evergreen Pharmacy (Midlands) Ltd, Birmingham.

Community Pharmacy England should get contractors’ vote before agreeing anything with NHSE

While I was a member of PSNC and the NPA for over 15 years, I pleaded for the 30-day NHS payment. It’s about time the govenment paid us on time so we can pay wholesalers on time.

Some wholesalers are tightening the screw and stopping our accounts or reducing our credit limit until payment is made.

This affects our supply of much-needed and at times life-saving medicines. Pharmacies are starved of much-needed extra money.

In Northern Ireland, pharmacy owners get paid within 30 days of submitting their prescriptions.
The current NPA chairman has written to the minister about this and it was about time someone did something about this. It is our well earned money the government is sitting on.

The minister in charge should instruct that our money is paid on time and not have any committees or consultation processes to decide this because that will drag this on and on. It is not rocket science to do this.
The NHS Business Services Authority can do it but it’s the government who needs to expedite the process and instruct the NHSBSA.

I turned 76 last month and still work for the NHS and my wife Damini has gone without holidays for past four years. That is how tough it is in pharmacies. Our sector is totally divided between various organisations. Community Pharmacy England should go to contractors and get a vote before they agree anything with NHSE.

Having sat on PSNC, there was a non-disclosure clause to keep our mouths shut on all negotiations over funding and the contract. There are lessons to learn from the British Medical Association about negotiating on funding matters.

Umesh B Patel, Leema Pharmacy, Sunderland.