Local pharmaceutical services

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Pharmacy in the future spelt out a new vision for the role of community pharmacists. Part of this involves the new contract and also new flexible ways of working to come from local pharmaceutical services (LPS) pilots. There are currently three waves of these pilots. The key objectives of LPS are all about better access, medicines management and service redesign around patients.

LPS will provide a means of contracting at local level for the provision of pharmaceutical and other services within the same contract.

Local NHS influencers may want to watch these developments carefully, particularly as supplementary prescribing by pharmacists takes off. NHS influencers may need to consider making contact with local pharmaceutical committees (LPCs) to find out more about these schemes and should expect closer involvement with community pharmacists over subsequent years. For more information visit the DH website section on local pharmaceutical services.

LPS contracts are likely be similar to those of PMS, allowing pharmaceutical services to be provided under locally tailored arrangements, free from the restrictions of the national remuneration system and terms of service.

Dispensing of medicines will be a core activity of all LPS pilots, but such schemes will not just be limited to dispensing, and other elements are likely such as health promotion, disease prevention and disease management packages of care working more with local GP practices. Pilots may also be able to offer non-pharmacy services to the NHS such as diagnostic testing. These services could all be packaged into an integrated chronic disease service to include medicines management and routine assessment and treatment.

Local contracts, again like PMS, are likely to focus on the outcomes to be achieved for the local population and on the quality of services provided. Much could be learnt from the national evaluation of PMS pilots by the University of Birmingham’s Health Services Management Centre. NHS influencers may wish to examine this.