Agenda item

At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor Philip Cohen introduced his Member’s Item on Community Pharmacies.  Councillor Cohen outlined the rationale to his Member’s Item, which included the following points:

·         “The Government wants to reduce total funding for pharmacies amounting to £170 million as part of what it calls ‘efficiency savings’ which is essentially the contribution to the austerity drive in the economy. At the same time it wants to streamline the prescribing system by increasing online ordering of prescriptions and ‘click and collect’ systems as well as home delivery. Other reforms proposed  are to locate more pharmacists in GP practices and other settings like care homes.

·         It seems clear to me (Councillor Cohen) that will be the effect of the cuts ie many smaller pharmacies will face closure. At this point I want to refer to the views of an expert, ie a community pharmacist, Brian Isaacs, who is manager of the Brand Russell Pharmacy in East Barnet Village, in my ward. We have discussed this issue and he wishes to make the following comments:

“The government wants to reduce the number of pharmacies by attrition by reducing their basic establishment payments and their reimbursement costs, thus the weakest go to the wall. That is not the way to reduce costs. The government are intent on reducing costs without appreciating the consequences. There are other ways to reduce spending for instance checking whether patients need all their repeat medication, thereby reducing waste. There are many others.”

·         Pharmacies are ideally placed to reduce the GP workload, due to easy access with no appointment, dealing with minor ailment treatments and influenza vaccinations.”

Councillor Cohen requested that the Committee consider submitting a joint response to the consultation. 

A Member commented that many people were shifting their activities online and that further efficiencies shouldn’t be opposed. 

A Member commented that they had noticed a large number of pharmacies opening up in certain areas in very close proximity to each other in certain areas and expressed concern that this was an over-supply of provision. 

Councillor Cohen expressed his concern that if pharmacists were located in GP practices the public might experience the same problems of access and appointment as they currently face seeing a GP. The Chairman noted that patients often used a GP pharmacy for a one-off prescription following a consultation but would go to a high street chemist to purchase a whole range of non-medicinal and beauty products as well as repeat prescriptions. 

The Vice Chairman noted that there had been an increase of 20% in the number of pharmacies since 2003 and that this had been much higher than the percentage increase in the population.  He considered that it would be important to scrutinise the proposals after the consultation.

Councillor Cohen informed the Committee that the purpose of his Member’s Item was to ask the Committee to:

“Express its concern that the reduction in the overall funding package for pharmacies in 2016-17 could lead to the closure of community pharmacies in Barnet and elsewhere.  It agrees that while pharmacies perform a valuable public service and are well placed to reduce the workload of GPs and A&E departments, they can be more efficient in prescribing, customer access and in working more closely with GPs and care homes.  The Committee would wish the Government to have further discussions with the Pharmacy profession to find other ways to make efficiency savings while protecting existing payments to pharmacies”

The Chairman sought clarification as to whether there was consensus on the issues raised by Councillor Cohen in his Member’s Item.  The Chairman noted that there was not and suggested that the Committee move to the vote on whether to contribute to the consultation as a Committee.

The Chairman moved to the vote and asked Members to vote FOR or AGAINST submitting a Committee response to the consultation.  Votes were recorded as follows:

The vote was lost.

The Chairman informed the Committee that individuals or political groups could contribute to the consultation outside the meeting, should they wish. 

The Vice Chairman suggested that the Committee keep a watching brief on the issue.

RESOLVED that the Committee note the Member’s Item.