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October 2008
As you may well be aware, the proposals in the Pharmacy White Paper could have a great impact on the future of dispensing doctors. The White Paper proposes changing the distance requirements for the establishment of dispensing practices: currently, it is the distance from a patient’s house to the surgery; in future, it would be the distance from the surgery to the nearest community pharmacy.
This could result in the loss of many dispensing practices in the Mole Valley constituency where dispensing surgeries provide a vital service in rural communities. The consultation document sets out 4 options as set out below:
Option 1 is no change.
Option 2 is that whilst continuing with current arrangements where GP dispensing applies in controlled localities, the existing specific distance criteria would be removed.
Option 3 would mean that, instead of the distance between the patient’s home and the pharmacy, the determining factor should be a distance between the dispensing surgery and the nearest community pharmacy.
Option 4 is a variation of Option 3. It would mean that a GP would not dispense where there is a pharmacy within 500m or 100m of the GP practice and a second pharmacy within 1500m. Those who are permitted to dispense may do so to all their registered patients regardless of the distance between their home and the surgery or pharmacy.
If you would like your views to be taken onboard please visit the following webpage and download the consultation response form:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_087324
Consultation responses should be sent in by 20th November 2008.
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