CPW will respond to consultations, such as Welsh Government or General Pharmaceutical Council consultations, where the outcome of the consultation could have an impact, of any kind, on the delivery of the community pharmacy contractual framework or the viability of the community pharmacy network. CPW will also respond to any consultations where there is an opportunity to make a case for a greater contribution from community pharmacy. Responses to consultations are listed below:
Impact of the waiting list backlog.
The Health and Social Care Committee have held an inquiry into the impact of the waiting list backlog on people who are waiting for treatment. CPW has responded to this consultation lobbying for a continued transfer of care into the pharmacy network. A copy of the CPW consultation response can be found
here.
RPS – Core Advanced Curriculum
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) have recently consulted on their proposed core advanced curriculum. The curriculum describes the expectation of entry-level advanced pharmacists and bridges the gap between the post-registration foundation curriculum and the consultant pharmacist curriculum. The CPW response to the consultation can be found
here.
Consultation on original pack dispensing and the supply of medicines containing sodium valproate.
The Department of Health and Social Care, on behalf of the four home nations, has consulted on the provision of increased flexibility (+/- 10%) to support the supply of a greater number of medicines in original packs. In addition the consultations looks at the mandatory supply of medicines containing sodium valproate in original packs. A copy of CPW’s response to the consultation can be accessed
here.
Health and Social Care Committee Inquiry into hospital discharge
Good patient flow improves the quality of care for patients, but a number of factors are likely to be causing delayed transfers of care, including capacity issues within the social care system, meaning that some patients who are ready for discharge remain in hospital. This has detrimental impacts on both the individual, and the flow of patients through the hospital, contributing to pressure on A&E departments and ambulance services. During the Sixth Senedd, the
Health and Social Care Committee plans to explore how patient flow through hospitals can be improved. The first part of this work is a short inquiry focusing on hospital discharge and its impact on patient flow through hospitals. A copy of CPW’s response to the inquiry can be accessed
here.
GPhC Consultation on changes to Independent Prescribing requirements
The GPhC have consulted on changes which will enable more pharmacists to begin their independent prescriber training. The proposals are to:
-
remove the requirements for registered pharmacists to have two years of clinical practice, before they can enrol on an accredited independent prescribing course.
-
remove the requirement to have relevant experience in a specific clinical or therapeutic area, before they can enrol on an accredited independent prescribing course.
-
retain the requirement that course participants must identify an area of clinical or therapeutic practice to focus on during the course.
The CPW response to the consultation can be accessed here.
RPS Post-registration Pharmacist Foundation Curriculum
The RPS have consulted on a draft curriculum to support the Post-registration Pharmacist Foundation Programme. CPW has responded to the consultation on behalf of contractors in Wales and a copy of the response can be accessed
here.
GPhC Consultation: How we set fees
The General Pharmaceutical Council has conducted a consultation on how they should set fees for premises and registrants in the future. CPW has responded to this consultation and a copy of the CPW response can be accessed
here.
RPS Consultation: A Competency Framework for all prescribers.
On behalf of NIHCE and Health Education England the RPS are pulling together a set of competencies for all prescribers. As the competencies are likely to be adopted in Wales CPW has responded to the consultation on behalf of contractors in Wales. The competency framework has been developed and updated to support prescribers to expand the knowledge, skills, motives and personal traits, to continually improve their performance, and to work more safely and effectively. A copy of the CPW response can be found
here.
Professional Standards Authority: Learning from Covid Review
The Professional Standards Authority has undertaken a review of the regulators it oversees (which includes the GPhC) to review their responses to the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic up to July 2020. The aim of the review is to help the sector in developing its strategies for responding to the ongoing situation, to learn for further crises in future, and to learn for future ‘business as usual’. A copy of the CPW response can be accessed
here.
Delivering Value Through Disinvestment Consultation
The All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC) have been consulting on guidelines on
Delivering Value Through Disinvestment: an exploration and analysis of appropriate disinvestment in medicines considered low value for funding by NHS Wales. The initiative will aim to put in place a process by which a medicine may be considered to be a medicine that is a low priority for funding and how the assessment on future funding will be made. A copy of the CPW response to AWTTC can be found
here.
National Minimum Standards for Medication Review – July 2020
The All Wales Toxicology and Therapeutics Centre (AWTTC) have consulted on the National Minimum Standards that should apply to Medication Reviews. A copy of the CPW response to the consultation can be accessed
here.
Enquiry into the Covid-19 Outbreak in Wales
Community Pharmacy Wales response to the Welsh Government Health, Social Care and Sport Committee Inquiry into Covid-19. A copy of our response can be found
here.
Draft Leadership Principles for Health and Social Care in Wales April 2020
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) have recently consulted on proposed leadership principles for leaders in the health and social care sectors. A copy of the CPW response to the consultation can be found
here.
GPhC Premises Fees Consultation January 2020
The GPhC recently consulted on proposals to significantly increase registration fees for
Pharmacy premises from £262 to £365 per annum. There was no proposed fees increase for Pharmacists and Pharmacist Technicians. The consultation can be accessed
here.
CPW has responded to the consultation on behalf of contractors in Wales and a copy of the CPW response can be viewed
here.
February 2020: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence: Community pharmacies: promoting health and wellbeing
NICE has recently consulted on a quality standard which covers how community pharmacies can support the health and wellbeing of the local population. It describes high-quality care and services in priority areas for improvement and is primarily aimed at commissioners, service providers, health, public health and social care practitioners, and the public. CPW has responded to this consultation on behalf of contractors in Wales and our response can be accessed
here.
November 2019: Welsh Government consultation on Drug Reimbursement Reforms
This was an important consultation by the Welsh Government, which followed on the heels of a similar consultation in England’ which put forward a number of key changes to the way that contractors in Wales would be reimbursed for the medicines they dispensed to patients. The response from CPW to this consultation can be viewed
here.
November 2019: National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Wales) Regulations 2020
This important consultation proposes changes to market entry arrangements moving away from the current ‘necessary and expedient’ requirements to a mechanism of market entry based on Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment. The draft regulations also proposed to introduce sanctions for contractors who are in breach of their contractual requirements. A copy of the CPW response to the consultation can be viewed
here.
August 2019: The Substance Misuse Delivery Plan 2019-22
The Welsh Government consulted on its plan for the improved delivery of services to people who misuse substances. CPW has identified in its consultation response the ability of the community pharmacy network in Wales to make a mire meaningful contribution to the support of this vulnerable group of people. A copy of the CPW response can be viewed
here.
July 2019: Quality and Engagement (Wales) Bill
On the 17 June 2019 the Welsh Government introduced the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Bill which will:
- strengthen the existing duty of quality on NHS bodies and extend this to the Welsh Ministers in relation to their health service functions;
- establish an organisational duty of candour on providers of NHS services, requiring them to be open and honest with patients and service users when
- things go wrong;
- strengthen the voice of citizens, by replacing Community Health Councils with a new all-Wales Citizen Voice Body that will represent the interests of people
- across health and social care; and
- enable the appointment of Vice Chairs for NHS Trusts, bringing them into line with health boards.
CPW’s response to the consultation can be viewed
here
May 2019: The National Health Service (Welsh Language in Primary Care Services) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2019
Recently-introduced regulations have increased obligations for GPs, dentists, opticians and pharmacists to improve the use of the Welsh Language in Primary Care. The new responsibilities build upon Welsh Language Standards introduced in 2018. A copy of the CPW response to the original consultation can be viewed
here. To support contractors CPW has also produced a simple guide to the new responsibilities which can be viewed
here.
April 2019: How do we assist Welsh Ministers in measuring a nation’s progress?
The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on a small set of national indicators against which national milestones for Wales will be developed. National milestones for Wales are intended to assist Ministers in assessing progress towards achieving a prosperous, resilient, more equal and healthier Wales, with cohesive communities, a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language and a globally responsible Wales. These are the seven well‑being goals set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The consultation also asks whether any revisions need to be made to the existing national indicators. CPW’s response to the consultation can be viewed
here
January 2019: GPhC consultation on the Draft 2019 Fees Rules
CPW responded to the GPhC proposals to increase registrants and premises fees for 2019. A copy of the CPW response to the proposal can be viewed
here.