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06
Jul 2024
Harrogate district pharmacy accused of greed after scrapping pill-box prescriptions
A UK-wide pharmacy group with branches in Harrogate and Knaresborough has come under scrutiny for its decision to stop providing pill-organiser boxes with prescriptions.
Brian McGregor, medical secretary at the YOR Local Medical Committee – the professional voice for all NHS GPs and practice teams across North Yorkshire and much of West Yorkshire – expressed concerns about Pharmacy Plus Health no longer offering the dosette boxes.
It comes after the Stray Ferret recently reported on the move and the subsequent concerns of a Knaresborough resident, who will be left to safely administer more than 500 pills a month for her husband.
At the time, a spokesperson for Pharmacy Plus Health attributed the decision to a lack of funding, adding monitored dosette system (MDS) dispensing “does not bring any additional NHS funding, whilst being hugely time-consuming to fulfil”.
But Mr McGregor disputed the claims.
He told the Stray Ferret additional funding was “rolled into an increase in the dispensing fee” a few years ago to cover the service, which included an extra 7p per item.
This additional funding covers need assessment for MDS dispensing and the delivery of it, Mr McGregor said.
He also told the Stray Ferret:
Funding was specifically added to the pharmacy contract in 2019 to fund this, payments were increased. They are paid to assess suitability/need, and then to provide, so yes, there is funding, and they are paid.
By stopping this service, they will take this payment as profit whilst denying patients the care that is funded. This is greed.
A dosette box. Credit: Laurynas Me on Unsplash.
At the time, Pharmacy Plus Health also said patients who have a “continuing, justified and clinical requirement” for MDS would be asked to request seven-day prescriptions from their GP.
But Mr McGregor claims pharmacies have been “specifically advised” not to encourage seven-day prescriptions.
This would place additional demand on GPs, he said, adding it is “another attempt to boost profits”. He said:
It is both immoral and unethical. GPs have been instructed only to issue seven-day prescriptions where patient addiction/drug abuse issues are a concern – not for this reason.
He did emphasise, however, he “does not want to go to war with the pharmacy” or be seen to be “attacking" Pharmacy Plus Health.
Mr McGregor added:
We are all struggling for funding currently, but my job is to support GPs.
Our concern is this will create conflict between patients and their GP practice, where the patients may feel GPs are being awkward. But the reality is the pharmacy is simply trying to increase its profits and push additional work onto GPs.
The Stray Ferret put Mr McGregor’s claims to Pharmacy Plus Health but we did not receive a response.
Hospital 'does not receive additional funding' for MDS dispensing
We also contacted Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust about MDS dispensing provisions.
A spokesperson for the trust told the Stray Ferret:
Generally, the hospital does not provide dosette boxes for patients on their discharge from our care.
If a patient is admitted to hospital and usually has their medicines in a dosette box, then we would supply their discharge medicines in a dosette box, and liaise with their regular community pharmacy to ensure ongoing supply.
We do not receive additional funding for the supply of medicines in a dosette box. We would not usually initiate medicines in a dosette box, unless in exceptional circumstances and in the interests of patient safety.
We also contacted Boots Pharmacy to ask if it still offers prescriptions in dosette boxes.
A spokesperson said:
There are a number of ways we can support patients to take their medicines at the right dose and time, including multi-compartment compliance aids (dosette boxes), large-print labels and medicines reminder charts.
Our pharmacy team members regularly speak to patients to discuss the most appropriate support for them, based on their individual circumstances and clinical needs.
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