PSNC chief: 'Trust barriers' remain in pharmacy funding negotiations
There are still likely to be some barriers to trust from both pharmacy and the government as contract negotiations begin, PSNC’s chief executive Simon Dukes has warned.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has spent the past year “rebuilding constructive relationships” with the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) and NHS England. However, “pharmacy is not starting on the front foot” in the ongoing funding talks, chief executive Simon Dukes has told C+D.
Negotiations for the 2019-20 pharmacy contract officially began last month, with the future of the medicines use review service, the healthy living pharmacy programme and the possibility of a national minor ailments service all to be discussed.
“These negotiations will be the first big test of just how much repair there is still left to do,” Mr Dukes said.
Mr Dukes is “determined that whatever the final outcome of these negotiations may be, we will have taken pharmacy forwards in rebuilding its working relationship” with the DH and NHS England, he added.
Read Mr Dukes’ exclusive blog for C+D on the big items up for discussion in ongoing funding talks.
What are you hoping to see from the new pharmacy contract?