The LRC (Local Representative Committee - Which is made up of the LPC, LMC (Doctors) LDC (Dentists) LOC (Opticians) has had meetings with various people within the local authorities to try toorganise an easy method for pre-university students having some work experience within our professions.

It is difficult for the 17 year old students to gain access to work experience, and this is often needed as part of an application to university in order to enter our professions. 

Some of the draw backs have been that individual schools have to come to inspect premises for health and safety reasons and to monitor what was happening etc.

However, there is a central register held by Connexions Hub Services, who will organise an appropriate health and safety assessment of business premises for free and then this assessment will be accepted by most of the schools within our areas.

You may find the following extract from the most recent edition of Community Pharmacy News helpful:

 Can I claim out of pocket expenses on appliances?

Out of pocket expenses can only be claimed on products listed in Part IXB and IXC of the Drug Tariff, but they cannot be claimed for appliances listed in Part IXA or IXR.

The PsNC Information Team often receives calls about Part IXA appliances that are not available from wholesalers without additional charges such ascarriage. The first thing to do is to contact the manufacturer to find out whether it is possible to obtain the product directly without charge or if they know of any suppliers who don’t charge for carriage. In order to list a product in Part IXA the Drug Tariff, manufacturers must declare that their product "will be readily available to dispensing contractors either through the normalwholesale network or on equivalent terms" so if a product is unavailable without additional charges from either the manufacturer or the wholesale network, the manufacturer may not be meeting the requirements for their product to remain listed in the Tariff. Please report any products in this scenario to the PsNC Information Team info@psnc.org.uk or 0844 381 4180) who will look into the problem and, where necessary, escalate the problem to NHs Prescription services. whilst a problem is being looked into, as it can take some time, it may be worth talking to the PCT as PsNC are aware that in some areas, to ensure patient access to affected appliances, PCTs have agreed to make discretionarypayments to cover the difference between the costs incurred in obtaining a particular appliance and thereimbursement. Another alternative is to discuss theproblem with the prescriber and consider requesting a new prescription for an equivalent product which isavailable without additional charges. As a last resort, NHs pharmacy contractors are not contractuallyobliged to supply appliances that would not normally be supplied in the course of their business. Therefore if acontractor is faced with making a financial loss through dispensing an appliance, they may choose not todispense it.

Consistent with the national directive to extend patient choice to community services, NHS South of Tyne and Wear and the Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Groups will be commissioning an Anticoagulation Stabilisation and Monitoring Service for Non-Complex Patients using the Any Qualified Provider (AQP) process during 2012/13.

By choice of Any Qualified Provider they mean that when patients are referred (usually by their GP) for a particular service, they should be able to choose from a list of qualified providers who meet NHS service quality requirements, prices and normal contractual obligations. This approach is already in place for routine elective procedures.

Extending patient choice of provider is intended to empower patients and carers, improve their outcomes and experience, enable service innovation and free up clinicians to drive change and improve practice.

In securing services under the AQP process assurance of competence, quality and safety standards is required. Any provider will be eligible to join the qualified provider list subject to demonstrating competency against specified criteria. Qualified providers will be expected to deliver the service under the NHS Standard Contract for a defined length of time, with payment based on actual provision. Commencement of the service will be 30th September 2012.

The North East Procurement Service will be hosting an Anti-Coagulation Service Market Engagement Event on behalf of NHS South of Tyne and Wear and NHS North of Tyne on:

  30th May, 6pm – 8pm, at The Quadrus Centre, Boldon Colliery, NE35 9PF.
OR
31st May, 6pm – 8pm at Bevan House, Great Park,Newcastle, NE13 9BA.

The aim of the event is to engage with the market in respect of the Any Qualified Provider process and guidance on completion of documentation, with an overview of the service requirement. This is in order to ensure the AQP process and Anti-Coagulation Service and its scope are fully understood prior to the release of the AQP offer.

 To register your interest in attending the Market Engagement Event, please ensure that you register on the eTendering system BravoSolutionshttps://nhs-neps.bravosolution.co.uk and complete and return the Market Engagement Event – Submission of Interest Form and return via the messaging system; no later than 12 noon on the 18th May.

Sunderland University will be holding a support evening for pre-registration students training in the independent community pharmacy sector on 24th May from 5.30pm. This programme for the evening will concentrate on exam preparation.
To book please contact Emma Green emma.green-1@sunderland.ac.uk before 10th May.
This evening is a free event.