This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Financial support for model pharmacies
21/03/2003
Investment of £1 million has been allocated for
community pharmacy schemes in the new financial year.
An additional £500,000 will be made available to improve
premises, as part of a settlement which includes a new pay
deal for pharmacists.
The funding was announced by Health Minister Malcolm
Chisholm as he welcomed a new pay for community
pharmacists, agreed between the Health Department and
Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council.
The full settlement for 2003-04 includes:
- 3.9 per cent increase in community pharmacists'
remuneration, to a new value of £93.235 million.
- £500,000 to upgrade premises and improve facilities
for patients
- a further £1 million investment in model schemes to
help develop the role played by pharmacists in
supporting patients with particular needs, for example
palliative care, mental illness and older people.
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:
"Every day around 600,000 people in Scotland visit their
local pharmacist for a range of advice or medicines, in
fact their pharmacist may often be their only contact with
a health professional for a variety of conditions.
"Through the Pharmacy Strategy - The Right Medicine -
the Scottish Executive very much recognised the role which
pharmacists play in providing healthcare in local
communities and the potential for them to become even more
involved in improving health and health services, for the
maximum benefit of patients and other health
professionals.
"This settlement demonstrates our commitment to The
Right Medicine as the way forward for pharmacy in
NHSScotland.
"Today, in addition to a 3.9 per cent increase in the
remuneration package for community pharmacists, I am
delighted to announce additional investment in pharmacy
services and premises.
"Once again, the new remuneration package will include
£1m to develop model pharmacy schemes which aim to improve
support for patients with on-going medical needs - such as
people with a mental illness, patients requiring guidance
on medicines for palliative care, and frail and older
patients. These schemes will help shape the services which
community pharmacies will provide to patients as part of
the new community pharmacy contract, currently under
negotiation.
"The Scottish Executive is also providing £500,000 to
improve and upgrade pharmacies. This will go to NHS Boards,
for use at their discretion, for work with local
pharmacists on local improvements. The type of work which
it will support will include the creation of more private
consulting areas to improve privacy for patients, and
better security measures - which is particularly important
given that pharmacists have to handle a variety of
controlled drugs. It will also help support improved access
for disabled patients, and promotion of more innovative use
of pharmacy premises - which is again in line with the aims
of The Right Medicine.
"Overall, it will improve privacy and access to local
health services for patients, as well as creating a more
pleasant environment for pharmacists, pharmacy staff and
patients alike."
Scotland's first Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care - The
Right Medicine - was launched by Malcolm Chisholm in
February 2002. It aims to improve access to pharmacies,
ensure safer use of medicines, and maximise the expertise
of Scotland's 4000 NHS pharmacists
The £500,000 Community Pharmacy Premises Improvement
Programme will be allocated to NHS Boards. The break down
per local NHS Board area will be as follows.
Argyll and Clyde - £45,000
Ayrshire and Arran - £39,000
Borders - £10,000
Dumfries and Galloway - £14,000
Fife - £34,000
Forth Valley - £29,000
Grampian - £45,000
Greater Glasgow - £99,000
Highland - £17,000
Lanarkshire - £58,000
Lothian - £67,000
Orkney - £1000
Shetland - £1000
Tayside - £40,000
Western Isles - £1000
The Possil Park Pharmacy in Glasgow, one of four
pharmacies in the City where premises improvements were
carried out under previous initiatives, won a design award
from the Chemist and Druggist Magazine. In addition to
traditional pharmacy services, it also offers smoking
cessation advice, healthy living advice, and access to a
range of other health professionals who use the private
consultation areas.
Money for model schemes is available to NHS Boards to
help develop the role of community pharmacists in the
particular areas of palliative care, mental illness and
caring for older people. For example:
Community pharmacies in NHS Ayrshire and Arran are
offering three mental health model schemes:
- clozapine dispensing reduces stigma and improves
risk management and access
- instalment dispensing for people with history of
poor compliance
- contact with the service and supporting people
through the Care Programme to help keep vulnerable
people in contact with service
NHS Renfrew and Inverclyde have established a Pharmacist
in Palliative Care network working with local GPs to help
implement SIGN Guideline 44 Control of Pain in Patients
with Cancer. Through the use of audit, it was found that 58
per cent of patients were not prescribed the appropriate
dose and 17 per cent of patients were not prescribed the
additional therapy recommended to provide optimum pain
relief. The pharmacists were able to intervene to help
improve quality of life.
In NHS Fife, community pharmacies are involved in the
Frail Elderly Model Scheme. They work closely with their GP
and nursing colleagues and during the last four months have
assessed 450 patients, identifying and resolving 1282
problems, including compliance, effectiveness or
appropriateness of the therapy, adverse reactions, health
promotion and prescription management.
A Model Schemes Steps Framework has been developed from
the lessons learned and best practice from the current
schemes and targets national policies and clinical
guidelines. The framework, which will be available shortly,
will allow more patients to benefit from the Model Schemes
and more pharmacies to become involved.
Prescription volume growth in 2002-3 has been running at
the exceptionally high level of 5.3 per cent, therefore an
overspend against the 2002-3 global sum is expected. As
part of this settlement, the overspend will be written off
in recognition of the investment already being undertaken
by contractors in new infrastructure to prepare for early
delivery of the new community pharmacy contract, and the
extra work incurred through current exceptionally high
rates of prescription growth.
Fee scales for 2003-4 are being maintained at current
levels except for the Essential Small Pharmacy Allowance
which will be uplifted at the headline 3.9 per cent rate.
There will be an in-year review during 2003-4, in respect
of any agreed changes in service provision and of fee
scales to maintain expenditure within the available
funding.
The Executive is committed to having a framework for the
modernised community pharmacy contract in place by 2005.
Negotiations with the Scottish Pharmaceutical General
Council are now underway.