The BMA has called for future care and medicines dispensing arrangements to reflect “the necessity of the service dispensing practices offer”.

In its response to the Health and Social Care Committee inquiry on the future of pharmacy, the BMA has said any funding and services commissioned from pharmacies should also be available to / from dispensing practices. This would “ensure equity of access for all patients, and to avoid a post code lottery effect”, the association’s written response to the inquiry states.

The HSCC inquiry, which was set up in June, is assessing the current status of pharmacy in England and will consider what the future of pharmacy could look like. The inquiry is focusing on addressing current challenges, particularly around the funding model, digital infrastructure and workforce recruitment, training and retention. Looking to the future, the inquiry will consider what innovations could have the biggest impact and what action needs to be taken now to ensure the potential of pharmacy is realised.

Among the pharmacy services that could be delivered by dispensing GPs are discharge medicines services, concordance support, minor ailments, greater monitoring and review of long-term conditions such as hypertension or COPD and performing structured medication reviews, should the BMA’s views be adopted as a recommendation. This has been informed by resources provided by the DDA.

The DDA welcomes the BMA’s statement, particularly in light of its own Call to Action for dispensing practice, launched at the recent 2023 DDA conference.