Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of pharmacies that have closed in Easington since 2019; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of these closures on primary care services.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There were 21 physical pharmacies on 31 December 2023 in Easington constituency. Between 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2023, two pharmacies closed in Easington constituency. However, access remains good. 85 percent of the population in Easington live within a 20-minute walk from a pharmacy. This exceeds the national average of 80 percent. Residents of Easington can also access services from distance selling pharmacies that operate nationally.
It is the statutory duty of local authorities in England to undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments for their areas, every three years, to ensure provision continues to meet their population’s needs. Integrated care boards have regard to those assessments when commissioning services and where a pharmacy closure impacts on the access to services, a new contractor can apply to open a pharmacy in the area.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of community pharmacies on the communities.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There were 21 physical pharmacies on 31 December 2023 in Easington constituency. Between 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2023, two pharmacies closed in Easington constituency. However, access remains good. 85 percent of the population in Easington live within a 20-minute walk from a pharmacy. This exceeds the national average of 80 percent. Residents of Easington can also access services from distance selling pharmacies that operate nationally.
It is the statutory duty of local authorities in England to undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments for their areas, every three years, to ensure provision continues to meet their population’s needs. Integrated care boards have regard to those assessments when commissioning services and where a pharmacy closure impacts on the access to services, a new contractor can apply to open a pharmacy in the area.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help community pharmacies with increases in the cost of medications.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Drug Tariff, published monthly, sets out the amount that will be paid to contractors for National Health Services in England, including both product reimbursement and service remuneration.
Where pharmacies cannot purchase products at or below the Drug Tariff NHS reimbursement price, Community Pharmacy England can request that the Department reassesses the reimbursement price. If a new reimbursement price is issued within the month, this is known as a concessionary price.
In addition, from 1 April 2024, we introduced a new retrospective top-up payment for concessionary prices, providing an additional payment to contractors when the margin survey indicates that despite a concessionary price, there was an under payment.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to increase core community pharmacy funding.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework five-year deal, we committed £2.6 billion every year to community pharmacy, and agreed not to recover £212 million in over delivered fees and margin from community pharmacies in recent years. In addition, we are now investing up to £645 million across 2023/24 and 2024/25 in Pharmacy First, for more blood pressure checks and more contraception consultations in pharmacy. We have begun the consultation with Community Pharmacy England on the national funding and contractual framework arrangements for 2024/25.
Correspondence Apr. 17 2024
Committee: Welsh Affairs Committee (Department: Wales Office)Found: By private car By public transport Pharmacy 18 minutes 1 hour 47 minutes Food shop 9 minutes
Oral Evidence Apr. 17 2024
Inquiry: The rights of older peopleFound: You might see an ad featuring an older Black woman going to a pharmacy or acting as a caregiver, but
Apr. 17 2024
Source Page: Immigration Rules archive: 11 March 2024 to 3 April 2024Found: • Pharmacy technician hour) per hour) hour) hour) 3231 Youth and community workers • Community
Apr. 17 2024
Source Page: Pain Management Task Force minutes: September 2023Found: Pharmacy will share a copy of their flash report to see if it would be suitable.NoneWednesday 01 November
Mentions:
1: Will Quince (Con - Colchester) The Government’s new Pharmacy First initiative, which pharmacists take seriously, has strict controls - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Andrew Western (Lab - Stretford and Urmston) That is despite guidance from the NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service, the Royal College of Surgeons, the - Speech Link