Community pharmacy contractual arrangements

Since the implementation of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework in 2005, PCTs have had increased responsibilities to support and develop community pharmacy.

These include the implementation of the new contractual agreements, developing local pharmacy services in line with primary care contracting competency frameworks, implementing Department of Health guidance for clinical governance in community pharmacy and delivering the targets for pharmacy in the future.

Pharmacy updates

Next Stage Review - primary and community care

The Government has outlined its vision for primary care in its final report, NHS Stage Review: Our Vision for Primary and Community Care, published on 3 July. The proposals cover a number of areas that have implications for the community pharmacy contractual framework. See our NHS Next Stage Review pages for more details.

White paper - Pharmacy in England

The government has published its white paper, 'Pharmacy in England - Building on Strengths, Delivering the Future', which outlines the future direction for community pharmacy and a clear role for NHS Employers in delivering some of this work.

The paper aims to develop the role of community pharmacy to deliver:

• A shift in emphasis from dispensing prescriptions to providing clinical services
• A wider range of services available through pharmacies
• Greater use of the clinical skills of pharmacists

We are now working with the Department of Health and NHS organisations to develop a detailed mandate for the work, to include negotiating changes to the community pharmacy contractual framework with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee to start this year. We also expect to undertake broader discussions with other professional bodies in primary care, like the General Practitioners Committee.

We will continue to update our website with further developments.

Publications

The NHS Confederation's PCT Network has produced a paper outlining the main points of the White Paper. You will need to be a member of the NHS Confederation, and registered on the Confederation website to view this. Similarly, NHS Primary Care Contracting have published a briefing paper for PCT boards which summarises the contents of the White Paper.

Strategies to achieve cost-effective prescribing

Pending the outcome of a legal challenge by the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries, the Department of Health has issued interim guidance to PCTs about prescribing incentive schemes.