PCTs must be bound by national guidelines if they are to be given powers to assess pharmacy performance and impose sanctions on contractors, the NPA has warned.

The association said procedures for judging pharmacy improvement should be set nationally, and there must be safeguards against inadequate PCT processes or conduct.

PCTs should not be allowed to withhold payments for underperforming pharmacies, and contractors must have adequate time to prepare for any new sanction and reward structure, the NPA added.

The comments came in the association’s response to a Department of Health consultation on the legislative changes needed to implement the white paper.

The NPA also called for a ban on 100-hour pharmacy applications until new arrangements were agreed, and warned proposals to allow dispensing doctors to provide OTC medicines could affect the business viability of some members.

NPA chief executive John Turk said any legislative changes must “balance stability with opportunity, while minimising administrative burdens on contractors.”