LPCs have urged contractors to persevere with the new medicine service (NMS), which has steadily declined in popularity since May.

Local leaders expressed concerns over the latest figures from the NHS Business Services Authority, which revealed the number of NMS payment claims fell to a year-long low in September.

While contractors made a total of 73,991 claims in May, this fell 27 per cent to 53,915 in September, at a time when contractors were unsure whether the service would continue.

Figures for the number of contractors participating in the NMS in September are not yet available, but PSNC's August data suggests this is also on a downward trend. While 7,099 pharmacies claimed payment in May, this fell to 6,713 in August.

Some companies have "taken their eyes off" the NMS due to uncertainty over its future, said LPC secretary Nick Hunter	More on the future of the NMS NMS granted third extension Pharmacists must sell NMS beyond funding negotiations RPS: all long-term patients deserve an NMS
	LPCs and contractors named ongoing uncertainty over the NMS as a factor behind the wane in interventions. But they urged contractors to persevere with the NMS, which they said was yielding positive feedback from patients and cementing pharmacy's role in service delivery.

Nick Hunter, LPC secretary for Doncaster, Rotherham and Nottinghamshire, said some companies had "taken their eyes off" the NMS due to uncertainty over its future. He called on pharmacists to maintain their interventions, which had a "huge impact" on getting local GPs to accept the service.

Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham LPC chair Dilip Joshi reported a similar situation in his area. "I think we've found it difficult to motivate [contractors]," he told C+D. "With things like this where there's a lot of uncertainty, if they have to prioritise, they're going to put their efforts into places where it's a bit more long term."

Al Patel, owner of Lee Pharmacy, Lewisham, said he knew of some contractors who felt the NMS wasn't "worth doing" because they weren't sure whether it would be extended further. But he had increased the number of interventions at his pharmacy, he told C+D, due to positive patient feedback.

"We realised, on following up with patients, that they're so excited and they say no one has ever asked them how they're getting on with their medicines before," Mr Patel said.

Alastair Buxton, head of services at PSNC, said was it "perhaps understandable" that some contractors were providing fewer interventions, given the numerous short-term extensions to the NMS and pressures in community pharmacy. But he asked pharmacists to keep offering the service to all eligible patients.

Enthusiasm for the service was crucial at a time when the NHS was reviewing pharmacy's role, Mr Buxton stressed. "It is now more important than ever that we show the NHS that we are really committed to providing medicines optimisation services and helping patients get the most benefit out of their medicines," he argued.

The Department of Health is due to make a final decision on the NMS once the academic evaluation has been published in February.

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