In response to today’s announcement from pharmacy minister Earl Howe about ‘NHS Pharmaceutical Services; Market Entry and Performance Sanctions’, Pharmacy Voice Chief Executive Rob Darracott said:
“We are pleased that the DH has at last ended speculation about the market entry regime with today’s statement”.
“The existing system of market entry, based on a hotchpotch of exemptions, has been far from satisfactory. We hope the new system will correctly balance healthy competition with the need for existing contractors to have sufficient confidence to invest in their premises, staff and services.”
“The provision for ‘unforeseen benefits’ should allow some creativity on the part of potential services providers and encourage innovation; we want to look at the small print of this provision, because it could quickly become a bone of contention if it is not tightly defined.”
“It is a pity that the Government hasn’t taken the opportunity to close the distance selling loophole, but there does at least seem to be a willingness to put some safeguards around misuse of this exemption.”
