The Role of Medicines Management within PBC Groups

Pharmacy Management held a seminar at the RPSGB on the 9th October 2008 to debate the most cost effective methods for delivering medicines management advice to GPs in Practice Based Commissioning Groups throughout England.

Areas covered were:

• environmental drivers for the delivery of medicines management advice to PBCs
• potential models of delivery
• impact of PBC on Hospital Prescribing
• examples of early stage interaction with PBCs by medicines management teams

The audience for the seminar consisted of prescribing  advisers, members of medicines management teams, GP prescribing leads and members of the pharmaceutical industry. About 130 persons attended.

 During the Chairman's welcome it was noted that:

• PCT mergers had now settled and there was a returning focus on Practice Based Commissioning (PBC).
• PCTs were looking at splitting into a commissioner arm and a provider arm
• There had been the advent of world class commissioning
• Interface issues included different approaches to creating formularies within PBC
   

The intention was to gain a clear insight into what was developing through presentations from a wide range of geographically based speakers.

The following have been selected to illustrate some overarching themes that emerged from the seminar: 

• The impact of PBC has been variable and there is a mixed level of support for the initiative
• There is significant potential for medicines management and pharmacy services to help PBC develop and deliver services
• Awareness of NICE commissioning guides and their potential to aid commissioning decisions is variable
• Commissioning Guide Topic specific advisory groups have an important and influential role
• There is pressure on GP time (eg extended hours) and opportunities for other players to provide services
• There is a lack of awareness amongst GPs about what medicines management has to offer and pharmacists may not be aware of the services that GPs most want. This is an area where further market research would be useful.
• There are mixed views about partnership working between the NHS and industry but an example of a dyspepsia project provided an example of a “win:win” situation
• Separating provider aspects from commissioning aspects is a key initiative for PCTs. Different approaches are being tried. There is a lack of clarity about roles in some cases.

There is a trend in some areas away from cost control towards the quality aspects of medicines management.

An individual report on each presentation, along with the slides and audio recording from the day are now available for review. Each presentation is listed on the right of this page.