Dispensing Pharmacies
23rd December 2008
I know you were concerned about the future of dispensing doctors, so I am delighted to be able to write to you with some good news. I received many other letters and e-mails opposing the Government’s plans, and I forwarded them all as part of the consultation process. I expected the report in about three months time but I am very pleased we have already won the argument on dispensing doctors.
After thousands of GPs and patients wrote to the Government to express their concern over its plans to remove dispensing from GPs, the Government have made a complete U-turn and agreed that there should be no change to GP dispensing arrangements.
Here is what I said about it in the House of Commons on Thursday:
“In a similar vein (to the Post Office Card Account), many people, particularly in rural areas, were concerned about the Government’s handling of the issue of dispensing from GP practices. The Government announced a decision on Tuesday, but the consultation process closed only a few weeks ago.
"One wonders why there was such a consultation process. I suspect that the Government realised that they were getting themselves into exactly the same kind of mess with the issue of pharmacies and GP dispensing as they did with post offices.”
If this had gone ahead, it would have been very difficult for patients in rural areas, particularly those unable to drive. However, the Government could have saved the taxpayer a lot of money and worry if they had listened in the first place.
As I also said in Parliament,
“I hope that following that consultation some recommendations are taken on board about allowing GP practices to offer wider services from the pharmacies that they operate in their surgeries. That would be an addition to the rural practices that would be welcomed by GPs and by patients who use them”.
For now, however, I would like to thank you for your action in making the arguments against the Government’s plan. Together, we have won this battle to secure the future of health services for patients in rural communities. I look forward to winning more positive battles in the future.
