Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of whether the performance of community pharmacy during the covid-19 outbreak necessitates the creation of a new national pharmacy contract.
Discussions are ongoing with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) about additional funding for costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of its assessment of COVID-19 costs incurred by the sector the Government will take account of the £370 million increased advance payments paid to community pharmacies
The support package for community pharmacy also included general COVID-19 business financial support, funding for Bank Holiday openings, social distancing measures and the medicine delivery service to shielded patients and free personal protective equipment, as well as non-monetary support, including the removal of some administrative tasks, flexibility in opening hours and the delayed introduction of new services. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 five-year deal was agreed with the PSNC in 2019. Negotiations on year three 2021/22 with the PSNC will begin shortly, which will take account of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on community pharmacy.