Hope for dispensing GP practices!!

[Jeff]

I don't remember anything about a doctor having a higher duty of care that a body corporate lacked

Our memories differ - and I can't find the reference.

and as GPs are now being encouraged to become body corporates (private companies being invited to tender for APMS contracts) it is even less relevant.

Agreed - but the judgement hasn't changed - the politics has with the encouragement to incorporate.
That is what some GPs saw coming - and tried to stave off with professional alliances (e.g. the practice pharmacist)

I prefer the concept of independent practitioners working together.
I am probably doing the King Canute thing trying to stop the inevitable wave of incorporation

You are surfing the waves

I'm no idea how many dispensing practices have become corporate bodies - but to me they represent the islands of cooperative rather than corporate practice.


Jeff

[Tony Schofield]

Irrespective of what we both remember about corporate v individual, Dispensing doctors were judged to be responsible for their staff whilst pharmacists weren't. Hence all dispensing needed to be supervised by a pharmacist but not a doctor who "took responsibility" for the dispensed medicine.

[Jeff]

Irrespective of what we both remember about corporate v individual, Dispensing doctors were judged to be responsible for their staff whilst pharmacists weren't. Hence all dispensing needed to be supervised by a pharmacist but not a doctor who "took responsibility" for the dispensed medicine.

We agree on what the judgement was - but perhaps not on the reasons behind the judgement.
So I'll ask to what extent can an employee pharmacist be responsible for the staff they work with?
Training - that's down to the employer - they pay for it, choose their supplier, and impose conditions.
Staff levels - that's down to the employer.
References, interviews - I've not been a manager in ages - but when independents staff are being poached they seem to have been interviewed by non-pharmacists.

Jeff

[Tony Schofield]

If the judgment had allowed pharmacists to take responsibility (which it didn't) the rights and responsibilities of employee pharmacists would have been addressed long ago. As it happened however we have the imminent Responsible Pharmacist situation which I concede has flaws in it's implementation but there is evidence already that it is having an impact in empowering employee pharmacists.

LocumVoice • View topic - RP used to good effect