Key Summary
- 85 percent of respondents feel the fee is inadequate due to high liability risks.
- 4 percent view it as a fair start, and 11 percent remain undecided.
- Sector leaders emphasise that further clinical support and appropriate funding are required for the rollout to succeed.
The NHS is launching the national Independent Prescribing (IP) service this autumn, but a standoff is brewing over the economics.
The proposed £17 consultation fee matches standard Pharmacy First pathways.
However, on our latest Pharmacy Business podcast "Reflections on Pharmacy Funding", sector leaders warned that this completely ignores the massive jump in clinical and legal liability that comes with writing a prescription.
To form a clear understanding of the industry, we asked our LinkedIn followers if the proposed £17 fee is enough for pharmacies to safely launch the NHS Independent Prescribing service this autumn.
A clear majority (85 percent) said it is inadequate because the liability is too high. Only a meer 4 percent claimed that it is a fair start, while 11 percent admitted that they are not sure.
At the Company Chemists’ Association conference on 30 June, speakers voiced about how community pharmacists need effective support and clinical supervision, alongside appropriate funding for independent prescribing to be successful.
Recently, the Independent Pharmacy Contractors Network (IPCN) warned that a premature launch of independent prescribing without a rigorous governance framework will expose patients, pharmacists, and contractors to unacceptable risk.
The IPCN clarified that independent prescribing carries a fundamentally different level of professional responsibility compared to working under a Patient Group Direction (PGD).
In January, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) welcomed the findings of the evaluation of Independent Prescribing in Community Pharmacy Pathfinder Programme by the University of Manchester and ICF International.
RPS England Pharmacy Board chair Tase Oputu said, “This latest evaluation is a renewed call to action for the Government and NHS to unlock the potential of pharmacist prescribing to support the 10-Year Health Plan.”
