The Right Medicine ASTCP is to study the action points in the strategy and decide whether the primary or secondary care group is the most appropriate to be responsible for taking the action forward. This process will also identify whether the action is a Trust, Health Board or national issue. A letter indicating funding for taking some of the actions forward had also been received. Although bids for the money were to be compiled by the end of March, there was some concern that some Trusts might not have realised that the money was ringfenced for the pharmacy strategy. Scottish Pharmacy Technician Development Group Apparently a national group has been set up by Lynn Leitch to represent technicians and ATOs. A letter ad been received asking how they could link up with ASTCP. It was decided that they should be a special interest group. Manpower planning There was some discussion on the Scottish Executive response to the Scottish Integrated Workforce Planning Group which appeared not to have had widespread circulation. It was referred to the Manpower Planning Group and is covered below. back to top Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care As mentioned in my last report, the Strategy was published on 4th February 2002. I must apologise to Council for the fact that I have been unable as yet to put together a comparison between the Scottish and English documents due to pressure of work and illness. back to top ASTCP subgroup on Manpower Planning Under the auspices of this group, a response to the Report of the Scottish Integrated Workforce Planning Group was prepared and submitted on behalf of the Association of Scottish Trust Chief Pharmacists. I submitted a separate response on behalf of the Guild. My thanks to those members of Council who responded to my request for comments on the response. The response itself can be found here. back to top Scottish NHS Committee Meeting 20.3.2002 Due to illness, I was unable to attend this meeting. back to top Meeting of Scottish Secretary with Chief Pharmacist Bill Scott and Michael Fuller 7.3.02 This much postponed meeting finally took place on 7th March with Bill Scott, Michael Fuller, Don Page and myself in attendance. There was a very useful exchange of viewpoints on a range of matters, but the main topic of conversation was "The Right Medicine - A Pharmaceutical Care Strategy for Scotland". The document itself is excellent, but Michael Fuller asked about the report sent to Fife Health Board about it. The report acknowledged the publication and detailed its action points, but there was nothing to indicate who should be responsible for taking the points forward. The Chief Pharmacist said that the principle would be to appoint centrally a couple of leaders for the strategy. One would be hospital focussed and the other community focussed. Their job would be to look at the action points and set up implementation groups where required in order to produce frameworks or models. These would then flow into the service. The Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) then knows the rate of change and where the problems are. The hospital post will probably be a secondment from the service, while the community one will be by open advert. It is envisaged that these will be part time posts for a period of three years and report directly to Bill Scott. Compliance with the action points will be included within the Performance Assessment Framework for annual assessment. It is intended to have three or four test pharmacies where the frameworks/models can be tested, the problems ironed out and then used as a role model for the service.
Scottish Pharmacy Technician Development Group Apparently a national group has been set up by Lynn Leitch to represent technicians and ATOs. A letter ad been received asking how they could link up with ASTCP. It was decided that they should be a special interest group. Manpower planning There was some discussion on the Scottish Executive response to the Scottish Integrated Workforce Planning Group which appeared not to have had widespread circulation. It was referred to the Manpower Planning Group and is covered below. back to top Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care As mentioned in my last report, the Strategy was published on 4th February 2002. I must apologise to Council for the fact that I have been unable as yet to put together a comparison between the Scottish and English documents due to pressure of work and illness. back to top ASTCP subgroup on Manpower Planning Under the auspices of this group, a response to the Report of the Scottish Integrated Workforce Planning Group was prepared and submitted on behalf of the Association of Scottish Trust Chief Pharmacists. I submitted a separate response on behalf of the Guild. My thanks to those members of Council who responded to my request for comments on the response. The response itself can be found here. back to top Scottish NHS Committee Meeting 20.3.2002 Due to illness, I was unable to attend this meeting.
Manpower planning There was some discussion on the Scottish Executive response to the Scottish Integrated Workforce Planning Group which appeared not to have had widespread circulation. It was referred to the Manpower Planning Group and is covered below.
SEHD is looking at the consultation process for pharmacist prescribing.The primary legislation has already been passed. After the consultation process, the MCA have to frame the secondary legislation to be passed at Westminster. "The Right Medicine" is intended to be the key to how pharmacists who can prescribe will be used.
There was some disappointment expressed at te failure of the messages in "The Right Medicine" to make it into the local Health Plans.
Michael Fuller expressed some concern that there were a number of issues which will affect GHP and MSF members, but that there had been no mention of either organisation within the document. The way forward must be travelled in partnership, and although there are a number of professional issues for future discussion, there were some immediate industrial relations issues. The implementation groups must reflect the stakeholders. The changes will happen, but it is important to consider the underpinning support required to enable the changes. Skill mix and Continuing Professional Development are important areas. Close relationships between the implementation groups and also the other professions are necessary.
It was agreed that I should write to Bill regarding the inclusion of pharmacists in the reporting of M1 and M2 costs and also the problems around the Emergency Duty Allowance not being uplifted in the 2000/2001 pay round. In light of the pay award agreed late in March it was decided that the latter correspondence be shelved.
The next meeting has been arranged for October.
Colin Rodden 4 April 2002