Some GPs are threatening to exploit the 100-hour exemption rule to open pharmacies unless they are given financial incentives from pharmacy contractors, the Independent Pharmacy Federation (IPF) has warned.

In a letter to the government, the IPF said that members were "reporting approaches" from GPs wanting to open 100-hour pharmacies within their own facilities. The group highlighted one case where a GP surgery told a contractor that unless they were prepared to offer some "financial arrangement", it would open a 100-hour pharmacy.

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IPF chief executive Claire Ward said the opening would "decimate the contractor's business" and called on the government to look again at imposing a moratorium on the 100-hour exemption. "Some of our members are reporting approaches by GP surgeries, with whom they have worked closely for many years that are being tempted into external commercial deals to open pharmacies within their facilities," Ms Ward wrote in a letter to pharmacy minister Earl Howe.

The government is consulting on removing the 100-hour exemption later in the year, instead making pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNAs) the basis for decisions on new openings.

However, the proposals have also come in for criticism, with Pharmacy Voice recently expressing "serious concerns" about the quality and accuracy of existing PNAs.

The organisation has called on the Department of Health to address the matter, saying that while it is sensible to judge applications against identified need, the system still needs to allow for competition and innovation.

"Robust pharmaceutical needs assessment are an appropriate basis for market entry - robust being the operative word," said Pharmacy Voice chief executive Rob Darracott. "Unfortunately, PNAs published by primary care trusts in the past 18 months have been, in many cases, substandard and defensive."

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