PSNC claims of a "weakness" in the pharmacy IT market with "too few PMR system user groups" have been strongly rebutted by some systems suppliers.

Contractors had reported "limited engagement" on the part of systems suppliers that may be holding the sector back in terms of its IT systems, PSNC NHS IT lead Lindsay McClure told C+D.

Responding to a question on the impact of NHS IT projects, Ms McClure said it was now "more important than ever for there to be a close working relationship between pharmacy contractors and their system suppliers" to ensure needs were met.

PSNC said contractors had reported "limited engagement" on the part of systems suppliers	More on technology ‘Tiny' percentage of GPs using paperless scripts Video: Technology in pharmacy Embrace technological innovation
	"This is currently a weakness in the market, with too few PMR system user groups and contractors reporting concerns that, with some suppliers, there is limited engagement with end users," she added. But Rx Systems managing director Ian Taylor said it was up to the negotiator to engage with systems suppliers.

"They don't do it at all at the moment; it's a one-way street," he explained. "Clearly there's value in engaging with the negotiators and with policy makers to ensure our road maps meet the requirements of pharmacy."

And Cegedim Rx sales and marketing director Clive Eckett said the systems supplier had already invested in both training and information for its customers.

"Cegedim Rx has invested in a customer roadshow programme and a key element of this is listening to customer feedback," Mr Eckett said. "In addition Cegedim Rx is currently running its annual customer survey... and customers also play an active role in helping us to test new features as part of our beta-testing panel."

The system suppliers' comments were supported by contractor and Pharmacy IM&T Strategy Group chair Sid Dajani, who said lack of engagement was down to pharmacists, not suppliers. "It has been an error on behalf of the profession that we have not engaged with suppliers ourselves," he said.

However, AAH said PSNC was right to call for "closer working relationships between pharmacy contractors and PMR systems suppliers". Craig Hudson, head of third-party B2B services at AAH parent company Celesio UK, said suppliers would "work hard to address any concerns about the engagement of end users".

"For pharmacy to truly benefit we need a single, collective goal," he added.

Jignesh Patel of Rohpharm Pharmacy, Plaistow, London, said PSNC's comments about the limited engagement on the part of systems suppliers echoed his own experiences and that a lack of engagement on the part of LPCs was also a "stumbling block".

And Sue Oliver, superintendent pharmacist at Corden Pharmacy in Pulborough, West Sussex, agreed that "to some extent" pharmacists weren't receiving adequate support from systems supplier groups.

"It can be quite hard to get through to the helpdesk and get prompt assistance. Or we may get through reasonably quickly and then, if something needs fixing, it may take time to get an engineer out," she told C+D.

Last month Pharmacy Voice presented its IT strategy, in which it urged the sector to adopt a single IT vision that developed pharmacy's contribution to patient care. Pharmacy Voice IT lead Gareth Jones told C+D that as part of its IT document it was focusing on establishing an "ongoing relationship between pharmacy and the system suppliers".