The NPA is developing quality standards for wholesalers to ensure they have "a more equal and constructive relationship" with independent pharmacies, it has announced.

Wholesalers should ensure that they responded promptly to any queries or complaints, that any surcharges on orders were proportionate and that they described "in detail" why a quota had been set, the NPA proposed in a consultation launched today (April 2).

The pharmacy group had suggested seven principles for wholesalers, which included calls for a reliable and regular supply of medicines, in response to the increasing emergence of limited distribution arrangements and direct-to-pharmacy deals, it said.

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	The NPA wanted to "empower" independent pharmacies to insist on a "consistently good service," from their suppliers, it said. It would create tools with which its members could measure and rate their wholesalers' performance, making it easier to challenge poor service.

Pharmacy groups raised concerns last year that independents were struggling to buy stock for reimbursement price due to restrictive wholesaling and direct-to-pharmacy schemes.

The deals meant that choice was not always available for independent pharmacies, Gareth Jones, public affairs manager at NPA told C+D yesterday (April 1).

"That makes it more important that independents are given tools to challenge poor service or acknowledge good service. This is about having a more equal and constructive relationship with their existing wholesalers, not just about transferring accounts," he said. 

The NPA had been in touch with the British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (BAPW) prior to the launch, which was already considering some of pharmacies' concerns, Mr Jones said.

"We believe that some relatively small changes from their perspective can make a big difference to our members on the frontline. But this process has to start on the frontline with the independent community pharmacy and this is why we are talking to our members first," he added.

BAPW executive director Martin Sawyer told C+D that its members had their own quality standards and were confident that their level of service was "second to none".

It was very keen, however, on improving communication with pharmacies, as there was always room for improvement, Mr Sawer said. The BAPW's work on improving patient medical record codes would help achieve this, he said.   

The NPA's consultation should also involve manufacturers when it came to quotas, as it was them who set the specific levels, Mr Sawer added.

The consultation, which is running for two months, will be followed by the development of a draft "performance framework", which will then form the basis of a survey of NPA members, Mr Jones said.

In December, BAPW announced it was working with Pharmacy Voice to create an easier system for pharmacists to report medicine shortages to wholesalers and manufacturers. It revamped its own ‘gold standard' of medicines distribution in October to ensure safe delivery of medicines.

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