14.05.14
New partnership to fight pharmacy fraud and corruption
NHS Protect has entered a new agreement with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to tackle fraud and corruption within pharmacy services while freeing-up resources for better patient care.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) sets out collaborative work with regulatory bodies and improves the scope of its intelligence and information activities. It also commits both organisations to sharing and improving the quality of intelligence and data so that crime against the health service can be prevented and detected.
The document states that the mains aims of the MoU are to:
- Reduce fraud, corruption and theft within pharmacy services to an absolute minimum
- Free up pharmacy service resources for the best possible patient care
- Maintain patient safety and confidence in pharmacy services
- Support the sharing of information, intelligence, expertise and experience
- Contribute to improving the regulatory oversight of pharmacy activities
- Create the potential for reducing the burden of inspection activities in pharmacies
- Define the circumstances in which the organisations will act independently.
DermidMcCausland, managing director of NHS Protect, said: “Effective sharing of intelligence and data is a key feature of this agreement, sending a clear message that fraud within the pharmacy sector will be detected and that criminals will be caught.”
In addition to entering the MoU with NHS Protect, the GPhC has agreed MoUswith other key organisations in England to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of pharmacy regulation by strengthening joint working and minimising duplication.
MoUs have now been agreed with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), NHS England and NHS Protect. The GPhC is also currently developing anMoU with the Home Office Drugs Licensing and Compliance Unit, and with relevant stakeholders in Scotland and in Wales.
Earl Howe, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for Health, announced in September 2013 that MoUs would be agreed between the GPhC and other relevant regulators and authorities in England by 31 March 2014 to support the GPhC’s role as the principal regulator responsible for inspections of registered pharmacies.
He said: “The General Pharmaceutical Council has made real progress in completing these MoUs. They have genuine potential to make a positive difference – for pharmacy businesses, their staff, patients and customers and other regulators – by reducing unnecessary burdens and freeing up valuable time to spend on front-line care and promoting better health for all.”
With regards to the NHS Protect MoU, Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GPhC, added that the partnership will help to make sure that resources are used to provide the best possible care for patients and that the public continue to have confidence in the services provided by pharmacies.
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