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How Boots went Rogue – The PDA’s reaction on the impact of the feature in The Guardian

The Guardian Article about Boots which was published on April 12th has caused ripples within the profession

Fri 15th April 2016 The PDA

Click here to read the full article

Pharmacists choose their vocation in the first place because they want to look after patients. After a gruelling five years of training they become experts in medicines and they desperately want to put their newly acquired skills to best effect in looking after the medicines related needs of patients.

Upon qualifying, many pharmacists discover that although they want to work as healthcare professionals enjoying clinical relationships with their patients the expectation of some of their employers is that they become suppliers of product or commoditised services to consumers.

The Guardian piece entitled ‘How Boots Went Rogue‘ (April 12th) argues that the real gem in the system, the unique expertise and professionalism of pharmacists is being undermined and overwhelmed by the drive for profit by their employers. As members of the profession, we all know that there are very many excellent community pharmacists working hard every day throughout the whole of the UK to try and look after the needs of patients. However, this Guardian feature asserts that pharmacy is a highly qualified profession which is being increasingly demoralised. Surely the consequence of this is that we could end up with a community pharmacy service that is a mere shadow of what it could be.

Perhaps it is unsurprising that a European Court of Justice ruling concluded that a pharmacy owned by a pharmacist is a safer place than one that is owned purely a commercial operator. Perhaps that is why, in continental Europe, many countries do not allow the corporatisation of community pharmacy and restrict the ownership of pharmacies solely to pharmacists.

That The Guardian had this sad story to write is merely a symptom, but the cause is that these business behaviours are driven by the piece meal, volume driven commoditised way in which community pharmacy is currently remunerated.

We can argue about how good MURs are till we are blue in the face, but no matter how many internal memo’s from superintendents, warnings from Chief Pharmacists or statements from the regulator there are about the need to avoid targeting, while volume produces income, then volume will be driven.

Ultimately, this has led to the damage of the professions reputation and interests. It’s The Guardian Feature today; it will likely be a TV documentary tomorrow.

That the good standing of pharmacy has been tarnished by this special feature in a major national newspaper is not in doubt but it could yet provide a necessary wake up call.

The GPhC has constantly stated that when employers undermine the professionalism of pharmacists they diminish patient safety; the time has now surely come for the GPhC to do much more about it. The PDA has consistently brought its concerns about working environments of pharmacists to the attention of the GPhC. We sincerely hope that at our next meeting with GPhC officials at the end of April we learn that the Guardian Feature will invigorate and increase their desire for action.

We need a regulatory process that looks more carefully at the actions of employers and takes them to task when the conditions of employment that they create for their pharmacists undermine their professionalism.

We know that community pharmacy remuneration is about to be radically reviewed and it is vital that any new contractual arrangements of the future will truly incentivise the professional autonomy and unique skills of pharmacists enabling them to use their expertise around medicines to develop meaningful clinical relationships with patients. For if this where to happen, then it would be good for patients, for pharmacists, the National Health Service and also for the taxpayer.

Let us hope that we do not simply end up with a rehash of the piecemeal, commoditised, volume driven arrangements of the past.

Finally, we need to think about the pharmacists who up and down the land just like Tony in the Guardian feature are being broken by the culture and business behaviours of their employers. Surely, if we want to call ourselves a healthcare profession then we must not allow this to happen to our fellow professionals. It is understandable that attempts will be made to try and persuade Boots pharmacists that this Guardian is an attack on their employer and therefore it is an attack on them. It is hoped however, that Boots pharmacists will see and understand that this feature was drawing attention to the business behaviours that many of them will be familiar with and consequently it may contribute in helping to underpin their professional autonomy in the future.

The PDA will continue to campaign for these ends to be achieved.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England; Company No 4746656.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association is an appointed representative in respect of insurance mediation activities only of
The Pharmacy Insurance Agency Limited which is registered in England and Wales under company number 2591975
and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Register No 307063)

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