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You are here: News » News Archive 2009 » Another pharmacy application in Scotland
Another pharmacy application in Scotland
Mr Semple applies again
Who will be next?
Dr Allan Tennant reports
4th of November 2009
We have been updating readers regularly on events in Fife at the surgeries in Leuchars and Balmullo
The Haddo Medical Group, with three dispensing surgeries in Aberdeenshire, recently saw a pharmacy application withdrawn after strong community support for the practice. Now the surgery is subject to another application by Mr Semple, who is involved in the second application at Leuchars and Balmullo.
Dr Fiona Richardson of the Haddo practice told DDA Online, "Semple & Semple's application went in before the first one was withdrawn but for the same site which is owed by the first applicant. It was only accepted once the Health Board had established which application was going forward by discussing with both applicants."
She went onto tell us "it would be difficult to maintain our current levels of service if we lost dispensing from 1, 2 or even worse case 3 of our sites. If the pharmacist were to open in our village of Tarves it would also be difficult to justify having a separate surgery there with both places offering similar services such as minor ailments and smoking cessation."
Last week's BMA News front page story was GP quits dispensing surgery in face of pharmacy threat
Dr Fowles the GP in Chirnside in the Scottish Borders, resigned because the opening of a pharmacy meant that long serving staff would have to made redundant and medical services funded by dispensing income would have to be reduced.
The health board view is that because patients will now receive their medical services in a nearby town, there is no loss of medical services and in fact things are much better because of the extra services from the pharmacy. This is the standard response from PCO's throughout the UK when doctors lose their dispensing.
The Dounby Surgery in the west of Orkney, has 2,300 patients spread over a 100 square miles or so. An application has been made to open a pharmacy opposite the purpose built surgery. This application will not be decided until early 2010. Click here to visit practice website. The practice has said publically that staff and doctors will have to leave the practice if the pharmacy opens as they will lose 60% of their income.
We have previously reported the Scottish Health Ministers acceptance that the dispensing cross subsidy of medical services was a reality and further evidence in Rural primary care underfunding; Dispensing cross subsidy a reality. We have also recently published a Call for government to recognise cross subsidy
I remind readers what The Minister for Public Health and Sport, Shona Robison, said in the dispensing doctor debate in the Scottish assembly in June, "The extra remuneration that GP practices receive for providing dispensing services is intended only to cover the additional cost of providing those services; it was never intended to cross-subsidise their base general medical services provision. However, I recognise what has been said in the debate about the realities of the situation in some areas of the country."
The introduction of the new pharmacy contract in Scotland has seen an increase in the number of applications in rural areas, because areas where previously a pharmacy was not viable may now be profitable. Applications may also be being made on the presumption that government is going to invest more resources into pharmacy. So that even in areas where a pharmacy is currently marginal, it could break even in the future.
We fear that applications maybe being considered by pharmacists in other parts of Scotland.
If your practice has recently received notification of a pharmacy application, let the DDA know by emailing office@dispensingdoctor.org
The DDA would recommend two actions that all practices and patients need to take.
Firstly you should contact your MSP and MP informing them of the service you provide and the cross subsidy that those medical services depend on. (Do not write to the minister). You should also advise them of the current operating difficulties in terms of shortages, quotas and declining income from reimbursement and how this is affecting patient services. You should remind your representatives that the UK government acknowledges that more than 50% of the income from doctor dispensing is reinvested in medical services. What services would have to go if the dispensing income was lost?
Secondly practices should be determining if a pharmacy could be viable in their community and seeking advice.