New NMS payment structure a 'fair reward' for contractors

It may be better than it was but it is still pretty confusing. Inevitably all employed community pharmacists will now be under immense pressure to deliver on NMS target as well as MUR targets where has our professionalism gone? Pharmacy is in a very sad place at the moment and I hope one day pharmacists will have their skills utilised more appropriately. The risk is we will never be taken seriously again, instead we will be seen as ruthless money grabbers trying to achieve unrealistic targets.

The payment structure could be kept as simple as £25 per NMS but saying that I think these are GREAT NEWS: we will be paid for ALL NMS completed and even better, the payment is going to be backdated!

This is very positive and shows how NHS Employers recognise that we need a realistic target to motivate contractors. It's tough being a contractor just now but I can tell you it's just as tough being an employee pharmacist - "I am ringing to see how many MURs / NMS you've done this week".

NMS is a fantastic service and now contractors get paid fairly for it. Can we say the same for employees?

I think this new 'improved' system awful. It is still grossly unfair.
To date, including March, I have achieved a maximum of only 40% of the target. Yes, I have missed some, the last being a 6 month old being put on Ventolin, not sure how I could have got consent etc.
At a review meeting with the local GP practice only 10 days ago, they asked about NMS. When I said that I was only achieving 40% of targets, they replied that they were a conservative prescribing practice (and proud of that fact). Lots of the NMS have been swops from Valsartan or Candersartan to Losartan, cost saving initiatives from the PCT. Otherwise the figure would have been much lower.
There were fewer 'real' new drug swops or changes.
So, I do the initiation, intervention and follow up but can only get £26, whereas others will get £28 for the same work.
This is definitely NOT fair.
SAME AMOUNT OF WORK, SAME REMUNERATION

I assume that you will get paid for 15 completed NMS @ £25each

And that's the problem which PSNC still seem unable to get the DH to see. Why not the same fee per NMS. You have to do the same amount of work per patient whether you get paid £20 or £28.

I bet PSNC fob us off with statements like "the DH would not sign off on a service where there was no differential payments based on volume." What next? The basic payment per item fee?

Thanks for the reply