Home PharmaBase - information for LPCs
PharmaBase pages for pharmacy contractors describe:
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the background to why PSNC decided to develop PharmaBase;
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the modules within PharmaBase;
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the governance structures for PharmaBase and Health Information Exchange Ltd; and
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the financial arrangements for PharmaBase.
This page answers frequently asked questions about the PharmaBase hypothecated levy, finance and governance, and explains the role that LPCs can play in ‘selling' PharmaBase to commissioners.
LPC Upd@te - PharmaBase special edition (Feb 2012) (LPC members only)
PowerPoint presentation for use by LPCs at contractor meetings
Finance & Governance
Can the PharmaBase hypothecated levy be collected via an LPC's statutory levy?
PSNC believes that as PharmaBase is a resource to support delivery of NHS services it is within the scope of the levy raising powers, just as it would be if individual LPCs developed a reporting system as part of negotiations with their commissioner. PSNC is providing this support nationally which means it can be implemented in a more cost effective manner than locally delivered support systems.
What if a pharmacy contractor refuses to pay the hypothecated levy?
They will not be able to use PharmaBase to support delivery of local and national services in their pharmacy.
Does the LPC have a mandate to apply this levy for a commercial enterprise, bearing in mind there are other similar commercial ventures?
We are satisfied that LPCs are able to charge the levy, as it is to support delivery of NHS services.
PSNC has told LPCs that it can't set up commercial arms or fund Limited Liability Partnerships; why is PSNC different?
LPCs are legally constituted committees of the PCTs that recognise them, and because they are created under legislation, then legally they can only act within the powers given to them. PSNC is not in the same position. It is recognised by the Secretary of State for Health as the NHS representative body, but is not specifically provided for in legislation unlike the Local Representative Committees.
If HIE is a separate limited company shouldn't the company ‘sell' PharmaBase directly to commissioners?
It can, but HIE would not want to interfere in LPC/PCT relationships unless specifically requested to do so. HIE will seek to work with LPCs to sell the benefits of PharmaBase to commissioners. Where we are approached by commissioners to discuss PharmaBase we will ensure LPCs are involved in these discussions.
How LPCs can help sell PharmaBase to commissioners
PSNC has provided LPCs with materials to support the marketing of PharmaBase to all existing and future commissioners. These materials are located on the commissioner page. They should allow a conversation between the LPC and the commissioner about the future use of PharmaBase to support delivery and invoicing of local Enhanced services and contract monitoring. A PharmaBase demonstration site for each LPC is also available for use during meetings with commissioners.
If your commissioner is considering using PharmaBase, please contact Neil Slater to arrange a discussion about options and costs; a commissioner enquiry sheet can be downloaded, in order to collate basic information on the commissioner's requirements.
Where agreement to the use of PharmaBase is reached, certain information (e.g. pricing structure and a list of pharmacy contractors authorised to provide the services) will need to be collated to allow PharmaBase to be appropriately configured to support the service. A go live date will then be set from which point pharmacy contractors will have access to the relevant Enhanced service modules within PharmaBase. The commissioner and / or the LPC will communicate the go live date to pharmacy contractors.
FAQs on working with commissioners
Some PCTs already have this sort of system in place; what is the benefit of pharmacies seeking to use PharmaBase?
Most PCTs are not currently using web-based systems to support the delivery of Enhanced services, but critically, those that do, tend to retain all the data on the services that pharmacy needs to create its evidence base for the future.
Local Enhanced services are being decommissioned rapidly; is PharmaBase obsolete as a consequence?
Not at all. To date PharmaBase has been developed to support services that are still being commissioned.
Should LPCs market PharmaBase to local authorities and GP consortia?
Yes, as well as marketing it to current commissioners during the transition to the new NHS structure.
As PharmaBase modules are developed for Enhanced services, will it be possible to personalise the data being captured to suit different commissioners?
The PharmaBase modules to support EHC and supervised consumption services have been developed by examining the existing paperwork and data requirements of a great many PCTs (over 50), resulting in the creation of a core dataset that covers the content of the vast majority of current local schemes.
LPCs and pharmacy contractors have long complained about subtle local variability in the design and data requirements of commonly commissioned Enhanced services; these variations often drive unnecessary expense for contractors and can complicate delivery of services. The introduction of PharmaBase, using a national template for individual services, derived from a robust assessment of existing local services, provides an opportunity to move to a more consistent situation across different areas. The ongoing re-organisation of the NHS and the enormous pressure to reduce management costs provides a potent driver for commissioners to simplify local data arrangements and to use PharmaBase to support this efficiency drive.
It is possible for the standard PharmaBase modules to be modified to meet special local circumstances, but in the current economic climate, the extra cost this will incur would be best avoided by the commissioner if at all possible.
Health Information Exchange Ltd. Registered in England and Wales; Company number 7343096. Registered Office: Da Vinci House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4EQ