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The use of independent prescribing in community pharmacy was a Labour Party manifesto pledge. But a national independent prescribing service feels a long way away, says Nick Kaye…

So, the new funding deal in England is out. What does it mean for us as a sector now that we have had time to digest its contents?

I think it’s fair to say that we have to acknowledge there has been some movement from the Government to try to bridge the gap that now clearly exists from the 10 years of chronic underfunding as well as the figures that came out in the independent economic review.

The new contract in England has had lots of figures attached to it. On the one hand, it was billed as ‘an over 30 per cent increase’ in funding to, on the other hand, ‘a 48 per cent deficit in the true cost of running the network’ compared to inspection, education and registration.

Reinvesting is a big deal for all of us

The latter suggests this cost is being subsided by the sector, so we have quite a range of views to say the least. It is true to say that all of this can leave us feeling confused, between how much we could earn compared to how much we will earn.

How much will it impact our bottom line? Will it allow us to not only stabilise our businesses but also start to reinvest?

Reinvesting is a big deal for all of us. It would mean we are beginning to feel hopeful again for the future and we are up for any change that may come our way.

All of this gives me hope that this is the start of the journey between the Government and our sector but there is still so much more to do.

We know that the NHS’s willingness to invest normally only comes with reform. If this is true, then the next wave of funding talks that should be happening in September will be critical to move us forward.

Huge weight of responsibility helping guide the NPA

I have been asked many times what this means for the National Pharmacy Association’s collective action and as I write this, I only have two weeks left in my role as NPA chair.

I have felt a huge weight of responsibility in helping guide the NPA with an amazing board and senior management team over the last few years. We have achieved some amazing things.

I’m exceptionally proud that we secured the overwhelming response of our membership to support each other in agreeing to take action, even though at this point, we recognise that nobody in pharmacies wants to limit the services they provide to patients.

All of us are 100 per cent in favour of supporting their communities, and any action was only intended to protect services for patients in the face of extreme underfunding and financial pressure.

The NPA is taking soundings from our membership to see where we go next and that advice was due to be out before I finish as chair at the end of April.

Independent prescribing pathfinders have felt clunky at best

We also need to start to have honest conversations about what reform could look like for us as a sector. Is that a reduced margin for drug purchasing, taking into account, of course, that the average model does not work for small and medium-sized contractors?

Would that mean more for the signal activity fee? A capitated-based model? How will independent prescribers fit into community pharmacy?

The IP pathfinders have been well intentioned, and I know NHS and local colleagues have been working hard to roll them out, but they have felt clunky at best.

The use of IP in community pharmacy is a Labour Party manifesto pledge but as yet, a national IP service feels a long way away and given that very soon, all pharmacy graduates will be qualifying as IPs, how will the sector shape this part of our journey so the service is well designed and does exactly what it says on the tin?

How will it make the best use of our skills for the benefit of the patients we serve? If this is, as the Government has told us, the start of the conversation not the end, then these fundamental questions will be coming at us thick and fast.

We all need to work together to secure that future, so we are never again left in the utter and heart-breaking crisis of recent years.

Nick Kaye is a pharmacist based in Newquay and chair of the National Pharmacy Association. These are his personal views.