PSNC and NHS Employers have outlined details of the £110 million new medicine service and targeted MURs, as well as their implementation, which will commence in October 2011.
Alongside the service changes, new clinical governance requirements will be introduced, with pharmacies expected to have a whistle-blowing policy and premises required to provide a "professional healthcare environment".
Targeted MURs
The four conditions that have been selected for the initial roll out of the NMS are asthma and COPD, type 2 diabetes, antiplatelet/anticoagulations therapy and hypertension.
For each condition, a list of medicines has been agreed. If a patient is prescribed one of these medicines for the first time, then they will be eligible to receive the service.
The maximum number of opportunities to deliver the service will be based on the assumption that the maximum capacity for each community pharmacy will be 0.5 per cent of prescription volume on average. This figure will be used for remuneration purposes.
Rewards
Pharmacies will be paid a one-off implementation payment of £750 for the new medicine service.
This payment will be the same for all pharmacies regardless of prescription volume and, in order to obtain it, pharmacies will need to demonstrate that they have delivered the service six times by March 2012 with standard operating procedures in place.
From October this year pharmacies will be able to claim monthly target payments. Pharmacies will be paid according to the band they fall in, which is based on prescription volume.
The document released by PSNC on August 2 points out: "Payment is not made on a per completed NMS episode basis. Instead payment is based on the performance of each pharmacy in maximising the completions achieved from the expected NMS opportunities. For a given volume band, the highest target payment represents the maximum monthly payment a pharmacy can receive, irrespective of the actual number of completions it may have achieved."
Patient consent
From October 1, 2011 patients who want to receive an MUR or receive the NMS service must give signed consent for their information to be shared with the GP, PCT and NHS BSA.
Requirements
Pharmacists will be required to fill out an NMS self-assessment form to declare that they have the right skills and knowledge to offer NMS. Forms are attached to the latest information document published yesterday.
Pharmacy contractors will be required to ensure that their premises meet the required standards and that all of the pharmacists providing the service have the necessary skills and knowledge.
See the full guidelines here.
