RPS funding proposals are ‘wrong starting point’, says NPA
The RPS must ensure its proposals to align the pharmacy and GP contracts do not have "unintended consequences", the independent representative body has stressed
Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) proposals to align pharmacy and general practice funding are “completely the wrong starting point”, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has argued.
The RPS used a joint consultation with the National Association of Primary Care last month to "test the appetite" for connecting the GP and pharmacy contracts to focus on the the health of local populations.
The NPA has yet to formally respond to the consultation, but said its response – to be submitted as part of Pharmacy Voice – will stress that any funding changes must not have “unintended consequences” that “erode the value” of the existing pharmacy contract.
No analysis of alternatives
The RPS consultation is the wrong way to begin the debate because “it contains no analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of current arrangements or possible alternative approaches”, the NPA claimed on Friday (September 25).
“While there is widespread support for better integrating community pharmacy within primary care, a number of NPA members have expressed considerable concern about weakening the national pharmacy contract,” the independent representative body said.
The current funding arrangements “may not be optimal”, but a stable framework is “vital” to ensure continued local commissioning while the sector goes through “a period of rapid and significant change”, it added.
The NPA said members could use the key points from the draft Pharmacy Voice response in their own consultation responses.
Last month, PSNC said it disagreed with the RPS consultation’s “apparent suggestion” that pharmacy should “abandon national provider-based commissioning”.
The consultation – open to pharmacists, GPs and the public – closes on October 9. Response forms can be downloaded from the RPS website and sent to [email protected].
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