Sheila McKechnie Council stood for a minutes silence as a mark of respect for the late Sheila McKechnie who, as a Health and Safety Officer for ASTMS in the 1980’s tackled the safety issues surrounding cytotoxic reconstitution. Pharmacy as a profession has many reasons to be grateful to her.
Agenda for Change The Early Implementers day had been very useful and had refined the presentation and job matching guides. It was noted that there were concerns about matching of primary care posts and the Guild was attempting to get some national profiles for this group. The biggest problem was the lack of any recognised career structure within primary care and the grade drift that has occurred. Grade drift is something which has happened in many areas as different employers have used and abused the grades over the years. Agenda for Change will expose this and not allow it in future.
Foundation Hospitals These are now a reality south of the border but there is a question over the relationship between the hospitals and trade unions. Barry Jones is to investigate this.
Knowledge and Skills Framework It was noted that a meeting was to be held on 12th March at the RPSGB by the DoH Knowledge and Skills team. This would discuss how best pharmacy can be included in the KSF. If anyone has any competency frameworks that could be useful to the discussions, please let me have them before that date.
VAT It was reported that there was to be some delay to the guidance being issued by Customs and Excise. It was agreed that the Practice Committee would, in the interim, write a paper on best practice.
Prescription transcription Recent changes to the POM order have caused some problems in this area. It is not illegal for a pharmacist to transcribe a prescription, but it is illegal to administer or dispense medicines against the transcribed prescription unless the entries have been confirmed by a doctors signature. The changes have also caused problems with supplementary prescribing. A position paper is to be prepared.
MLX 297 GHP is to write to the MHRA to complain about the proposed increase in charges. Although the charges increase by 3.7% overall, there are disproportionate increases to Manufacturers Licence inspections will increase by 8.3%
GHP Medals It was announced that David Cousins had been awarded the GHP Gold Medal and that Carwen Wynne-Howells had been awarded the GHP Silver Medal.
Colin Rodden 5 February 2004