Premises Infrastructure
The importance of community pharmacies as the point of contact with healthcare provision most often used by patients and the public at large has been recognised by the Scottish Government both in The Right Medicine - a Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care in Scotland and in previous premises improvement programmes in 2002-3 and 2003-4. It is therefore important that community pharmacy contractor premises are fit for purpose.

In 2005/6 dedicated funding was released to Health Boards to focus on:

           • provision of private advice areas
           • support for contractors to improve patient access to meet the requirements of the
             Disability Discrimination Act 1995
           • and security arrangements.

Further to the release of this circular Health Facilities Scotland produced a guidance note on premises. It is called the "Scottish Health Planning Note 36 – Part 3 Community Pharmacy Premises in Scotland". The information in the document is not prescriptive but is meant to guide community pharmacy contractors when they are planning a refit or a new pharmacy.

As part of the community pharmacy contract preparation payments for 2007-8 a premises assessment tool was produced and undertaken by community pharmacy contractors.

The assessment tool reviewed both core requirements of the premises and specific requirements for additional services the community pharmacy contractor may undertake.
The assessment tool ensured that community pharmacy premises had:

           • Equality of access for all patients
           • Waiting area
           • Consultation area
           • Health promotion area
           • Suitable environment and design
           • Area for the safe storage of returned medicines
           • Signage

If the community pharmacy contractor provided additional services for needle exchange and/or oxygen further requirements were necessary.

Once completed if the premises were felt not to have met the criteria laid out, pharmacy contractors were expected to produce a development plan which outlined a resolution and a timeframe for completion of the improvement. Community Pharmacy contractors are expected to complete the changes by the 1st of October 2008.

The circular PCA(P)(2008)(21) has been produced by Scottish Government to support the release of capital funds for financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 which may be used for a range of purposes including the improvement and upgrading of Community Pharmacy premises.

The funding which is allocated from the Primary and Community Care Premises Modernisation Programme. is intended to provide support to pharmacy contractors to either

 ·         Upgrade security of Pharmacy Premises

 ·         Support the completion of the upgrading of contractor premises where deficiencies   have been identified by reference to the Core Requirements and Additional Service Requirements detailed in the Annex to NHS Circular- PCA(P)(2007)28 and an appropriate plan acceptable to the Board has been produced

·         Where the NHS Board considers that existing premises may not be cost effectively upgraded, and the contractor re-locates to new premises which the NHS Board considers to be fit for the delivery of Pharmaceutical Services, a substitute grant towards the cost of relocation in lieu of an upgrading or improvement grant may be made.

Pharmacy contractors wishing to access these funds should discuss the circular with their NHS Board.

Circulars
PCA(P)(2002)5 Community Pharmacy Premises Development Programme 2002-3
PCA(P)(2003)4 Community Pharmacy Premises Development Programme 2003-4
PCA(P)(2005)10 Community Pharmacy Premises Development Programme 2005-06 Circular
PCA(P)(2007)28 Pharmaceutical Services Remuneration Arrangements for 2007-8 Contract Preparation Payments 2007-8 Premises Guidance and Assessment Tool.
PCA(P)(2008)(21) Community pharmacy premises development programme 2009-10 and 2010-11