Home General News
Essential Small Pharmacies
The Secretary of State has issued Directions relating to Essential Small Pharmacies in England that operate under the ESP LPS arrangements.
Payments
The target payment has increased from £70,397 per year to £73,165 per year. The maximum monthly top up payment also rises from £5,104 to £5,305. The increases are backdated to 1 October 2009, and will be achieved by payment of an additional amount for October 2009 to January 2010 inclusive for any ESP LPS contractor who was eligible to payment under ESP LPS for those months. There is no change to the prescription volume threshold for eligibility to ESP LPS.
Hours of opening
To parallel amendments to the standard terms of service for pharmacies, Essential Small Pharmacies are required to notify the PCT of their supplementary hours as well as core contractual hours. It is anticipated that most pharmacies will have already set out these hours, but PCTs may seek clarification.
Emergency situations
Further amendments are made to allow a temporary change to hours or days on which local pharmaceutical services are provided, during an emergency. The trigger for the emergency provisions coming into force will be the same as for standard pharmacies: that is a decision by the Secretary of State that there is an emergency requiring the flexible provision of pharmaceutical services. If the emergency situation is announced, then an ESP LPS pharmacy could apply, with 24 hours notice, to close or change its hours. The PCT does not have to give a decision within 24 hours, and the pharmacy can amend its hours after the 24 hours notice has elapsed. When the PCT does consider the application, if it is satisfied that there are adequate reasons, the application may be granted. If the application is refused, the pharmacy would have to revert to its standard hours from the day after the day on which notice is given of the PCT’s decision.
During the emergency, the PCT could also agree to any other temporary variation in the ESP LPS scheme that in its opinion will facilitate continuity of provision of services during the emergency.
At the end of the emergency, the pharmacy will revert to its former hours and services.
Disclosure of information by ‘Home PCTs’
Finally there is an amendment that introduces a 28 day time limit for disclosure of information by the ‘Home PCT’ when asked for information on fitness to practise matters by another PCT. This parallels changes that were made to the principal regulations for traditional pharmacies.
The Directions are available here
Posted 2 February 2010