 Practice Pharmacists with 100-hour contracts should work with consultants and GPs in their areas to provide after-hours care, primary-care think tank the NHS Alliance has said. |
 Business The predicted flood of 100-hour applications during the government consultation period failed to materialise, according to a C+D FOI request to 146 PCTs |
 Exclusive Asda and a pharmacy company that specialises in GP pharmacies made almost a third of the applications for 100-hour pharmacies during the nine-month consultation before the exemption was scrapped. |
 Business The latest round of category M clawbacks could force pharmacies to close, with 100-hour pharmacies and independents being particularly vulnerable to the threat, industry experts have forecast. |
 Practice Pharmacists have hit out at certain 100-hour pharmacies, which limit access outside standard opening hours, arguing that they are providing a "second-rate" service. |
 Legal Law firm Charles Russell has said that deliberately ignoring 100-hour bids constituted a breach of the law, as businesses pursue substantial damages from PCTs that blocked applications until the cut-off date passed. |
 Business More than one in five contractors said they considered category M clawbacks the biggest threat to their business, while others cited GP commissioning and 100-hour competitors. |
 Politics Pharmacy minister Earl Howe has remained at the Department of Health, making him the only health minster to keep his position during the reshuffle. |
 Business The abolition of 100-hour regulations has not spelled the end of GP applications for pharmacies, legal firm Charles Russell partner Noel Wardle has warned. |
 People Oversupply and loss of 100-hour exemption could leave graduates struggling to find employment as the number of registrants continues to grow. |
100-hour comment
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The story The government's decision to scrap the 100-hour control of entry exemption didn't come as much of a shock; it took nine months to get from the initial consultation to the final... |
 As control of entry changes come into effect in England on September 1, legal consultant Paul Burns answers some common questions |
 People From employee rights to the government’s austerity agenda, James Bloodworth puts readers’ questions to Pharmacists’ Defence Association director and C+D Senator John Murphy |
 New graduates are in an unenviable position as more registrants battle it out for fewer jobs, writes Jennifer Richardson. And it's a situation that needs to be addressed by the profession. |
 Business The sector may have welcomed the long-awaited changes to control of entry in England, but can we be so sure that the outcomes will be positive? |
 Pharmacy law: it’s just like the buses. You wait decades for a new piece of legislation, then two come along at once, says David Reissner |
 There's a hole in the regulations now the 100-hour exemption has been scrapped, but Xrayser has discovered a DH document of proposals that just might fill the void |
 Exploiting legal loopholes to try and and provide a service that can't equate to the national contract is unacceptable, writes contractor Terry Maguire, no matter who is doing it |
"The government has rightly brought to an end the haphazard opportunism that has so characterised market entry in recent times. It's true that this announcement is long overdue, but we must not lose sight of the fact that this is good news for patients, pharmacists, taxpayers and local communities across the country."
Kevin Barron, chair, All-Party Pharmacy Group
"The removal of the 100-hour control of entry exemption is great news for pharmacists and patients, but we hope that we don't see a surge in applications prior to the changes being implemented."
Shilpa Gohil, chair, English Pharmacy Board
"Sainsbury's fully supports the concept of 100-hour pharmacies and believes this decision will be to the detriment of patients and the profession alike. Since 2005, patients have been able to take advantage of greater access to pharmaceutical services at a time and location convenient to them, something that is also a benefit to the wider community."
Sainsbury's spokesperson
"It cannot be a day too soon for independents. This will be a great relief to those pharmacists where their livelihood has been threatened by the prospect of this unfair competition, though clearly far too many 100-hour pharmacies already exist."
Independent Pharmacy Federation
"This is the right decision for the future of community pharmacy and will ultimately benefit patients, offering diversity and choice. But I am disappointed that it has taken more than six months to resolve this issue following the close of the consultation."
John Nuttall, managing director, The Co-operative Pharmacy
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| @PharmacyLawyers Has Earl Howe clarified what transitional arrangements will apply to existing 100-hour applications? | @henrysjl Excellent news! About time too |
@Jaybadenhorst Problem is that it cost the pct's and ultimately nhs already too much money!! About time |
@Mrdispenser Good news for existing contractors. Bad news for people wanting to start their own business |
@9ineteen84 Best news on 100 hours if it is true |
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| @shaheedfazal We are going to see an avalanche of applications now. It would have been far better to scrap from tomorrow | @foster2406 100 hour contracts are almost impossible to make a profit from unless you're in a Health Centre. And I should know because I opened one! Five years and three owners later and we're breaking even |
@Jonsey147 Long overdue, been mostly an avenue for multiples to exploit financial muscle! |
@Ali_Khoei Basically makes it near impossible to start up unless you're a corp | @pillmanuk At last the contacts will be considered on need rather than opening times. Stops GPS damaging existing services | ||||||
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