The government's investigation into allegations of pharmacists defrauding the NHS should be expanded to examine the pressures pharmacists are under to source specials, LPC representatives have said.

The investigation, which was promised in June after the Daily Telegraph accused some specials manufacturers of offering false drug purchase invoices to pharmacists, was an opportunity to show GPs the increased demands that sourcing specials placed on pharmacists, said Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire chief executive Robbie Turner.

Shadow pharmacy minister Jamie Reed's call in parliament last week (November 20) for the government to provide details of the investigation was also a chance to examine GPs' own relationships with specials manufacturers, said Essex LPC chief executive Ash Pandya.

A fuller investigation into specials fraud would show that the "vast majority" of pharmacists were just trying to ensure medicines reached patients in time, said Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire chief executive Robbie Turner	More on pharmacy fraud Pharmacists face prison if caught colluding with fraudulent specials manufacturers GPhC pledges to investigate Telegraph specials fraud exposé Pharmacist struck off for claiming £2,000 in false prescriptions
	During a parliamentary debate on community pharmacy, Labour MP Reed asked what progress had been made on the investigation since June, when health secretary Jeremy Hunt vowed that the NHS would look into the allegations of manufacturers allowing pharmacists to claim extra money for specials and offering cashback on purchases.

The issue had been blown out of proportion by CCGs, who were aware that prescriptions for specials were increasing, Mr Turner said. A fuller investigation would show that the "vast majority" of pharmacists were just trying to ensure medicines reached patients in time, he told C+D.

"There are lots of anecdotes without very much evidence, and that's damaging community pharmacy's reputation with GPs and prescribers at a time when it's important their views are positive," he added.

Mr Pandya said that the investigation should also examine the rebate schemes offered to CCGs by specials manufacturers. These deals were done "openly and transparently" and allowed manufacturers to reward CCGs for prescribing their products by offering extra money as a "back hander", he told C+D.

"The manufacturers say, ‘you prescribe these and then we'll give you a rebate of 10 per cent as a cheque'," said Mr Pandya. "What's the difference between that and what a pharmacist may be doing? It shouldn't be that pharmacists are necessarily picked up as the bad guys if they're seen to be doing these things."

However, Mr Reed said in parliament that the allegations of false invoices were a "grotesque financial deceit of patients" and should be compared to the MPs' expenses scandal.

He said he regretted the distress that the issue would bring to the "overwhelming majority" of law-abiding pharmacists, but that it was essential to "leave no stone unturned in establishing the facts".

Health minister Daniel Poulter MP told parliament that either he or pharmacy minister Earl Howe would write to Mr Reed to update him on the progress of the investigation.

In June, the General Pharmaceutical Council pledged to look into the allegations as a "matter of urgency". However, the regulator was unable to confirm details of any of its investigations, it told C+D this week (November 25).

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