As we begin a new year, my mind has been casting back and thinking of the issues we faced over the last one: huge numbers of contract applications, complicated tendering schemes, medicine shortages, changes to the methadone payment, payment problems via the PCT/PPD to name just a few...and I've been wondering what's in store for us this year??
 
Well, by the time you read this, contractors will be coming to terms with reduced remuneration caused by category M reductions in October last year - and even if we accept the rationale for this, it's difficult to bear...
 
The PCTs shut up shop at the end of March; so in April we expect the CCGs and the new Commissioning Board with its local area teams to open for business. We also expect the health and wellbeing boards of the local authority to take up the public health agenda. Pharmacy services will be commissioned from these new entities, but they will take time to find their feet - so don't hold your breath for any new services for a while...
 
So, in conclusion,  I think next year will be an enormous challenge for contractors - but rest assured that your LPC members will pick up the baton and run on your behalf wherever we can to obtain the best deal we can for community pharmacy and to look after the interests of contractors. 
 
On another note,
I hope that the interim financial arrangements that are currently in force will be replaced by a considered financial settlement that is fair to contractors - based on the cost of service enquiry and the numbers of contracts. Pharmacy has suffered over the last few years partly because of the fact that the financial package that funds community pharmacy (formally known as the global sum) - whilst increasing slowly with costs - is based on historic numbers of pharmacies (~10,000) and not the almost 13,000 pharmacies we have today. So although the overall sums involved have increased in line with inflation, the fact that there are so many more contracts now means we all have a smaller slice of the cake...
 
A friend of mine, and past Secretary of our Committee, once said "If the Government want pharmacy to deliver as we know it can, then the DOH needs to remember that -  you get nowt for nowt and precious little for sixpence!"
 
Happy New Year everyone!

The LPC Executive team attended a very useful "joint" Regional Meeting in York yesterday with colleagues from LPCs in the Northern Region and Yorkshire Region. We heard a number of excellent presentations on a wide variety of subjects. Time after time we were told that contractors must deliver the services we have, or it will be difficult to negotiate new ones in the future...it's no use sitting back moaning about the lack of new services if you don't do the ones we have!    Perhaps the most sobering thoughts came from the presentation we had about simplification of the Drug Tariff to improve transparency and reduce endorsing. The LPC will issue an article about the  changes in the pink bulletin soon - and will have the presentation available on the website shortly. We are entering a very different world in July; so please examine the changes carefully and let us know your thoughts!