Dispensing
Services Quality Scheme - England & Wales
Introduction
As part
of the changes to the arrangements for dispensing doctors agreed as
part of the GMS changes in 2006/07, a Dispensary Services Quality
Scheme ('the Scheme') came into effect in September 2006. The Scheme
rewards Practices for providing high quality services to their dispensing
patients. Practices which sign up to the Scheme and achieve all the
standards will receive a payment for each dispensing patient.
Participating
Practices must nominate a dispensing GP who will be responsible for
the dispensing service.
Overview
of quality requirements
The
key quality requirements of the Scheme are:
- Dispensing
staff must be appropriately trained and undertake continued training
with annual appraisals. There's a draft Dispensary
Staff Training/Competency Record in the Human Resources
index of the Members
Library*.
- Dispensers
who work unsupervised must have at least 1,000 dispensing hours
work experience over the previous five years in a GP
dispensary or community pharmacy, and must be trained to Pharmacy
Services S/NVQ level 2
- Minimum
levels of staff hours dedicated to dispensary services
- Staff
with a limited dispensing role must be given relevant training and
competency assessment
- Standard
Operating Procedures ('SOPs') which reflect good professional practice
and all dispensary procedures. SOPs must be reviewed and updated
at least once every 12 months and whenever dispensing procedures
are amended. Our Standard Operating Procedures toolkit is in the Members section*.
- A
Significant Event Monitoring Procedure must be in place.
Our Significant Events toolkit is in the Members section*.
- An
annual review must take place of the medicines use for 10% of the
dispensing list (7.5% in 2006/7). There's a draft Dispensing
Review of Use of Medicines (DRUM) Procedure in the Practice
Operation & Development index of the Members
Library*.
* If you are not a Member, click here for information about the benefits of membership and how to subscribe.
Applying
to participate in the Scheme
Practices
should approach their PCO for details of how to participate - the
PCO may provide an application form similar to this.
Practices must submit an application annually - applications to participate
in the scheme must be submitted by 1st July each year.
Further
information
BMA/NHS
Employers guidance - England
Wales
NHS guidance - Wales
Dispensing
Doctors Association
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