Simon Wright / The Pharmaceutical Journal
Funding for community pharmacy independent prescribing clinics in Scotland will continue for one more year, the Scottish government has said. The clinics received £1 million in funds in 2017/2018.
In a circular to NHS Boards, Rose Marie Parr, the chief pharmaceutical officer for Scotland, said each board must provide their updated plans for funding deployment for the year by 16 July 2018. Boards will be expected to provide a report on how the provided funding has been deployed, along with lessons learned, no later than 30 March 2019.
Community Pharmacy Scotland said it was “delighted” that funding had been agreed for a further year.
“These clinics have been running for over ten years, providing a valuable support to patients in delivering expert care on their medicine direct from pharmacists, and also providing support to our colleague GPs, freeing up their time for other work,” a spokesperson said.
A review of community pharmacy supplementary and independent prescribing clinics will be conducted over the course of this year to consider whether any changes are necessary to ensure “an appropriate and stable funding model”, the circular stated. The outcomes of this review will be used to inform the arrangements from 2019/2020.
