Service specification for prescribing support
Service outline
NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland (LCR) is seeking pharmacy service providers for the delivery of a
range of time-limited, outcome-focussed, medicines management and prescribing schemes for our 84 GP
practices. Schemes are of varying duration and range from simple therapeutic switches to medicines
reconciliation or care home medication review.
Aims and objectives of the service
The aims of the medicines management and prescribing schemes are to increase clinical and cost effective
prescribing, reduce variance from expected performance, reduce medicines waste, and improve patient
outcomes. In order to meet the aims LCR will be developing a framework of approved registered
pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and/or providers of registered pharmacists and pharmacy
technicians from which GP commissioners can select ensuring that dedicated medicines management
support of a consistently high standard is available to all GP commissioning groups.
This will be achieved through dedicated support for targeted areas of prescribing with highest potential for
cost reduction or process improvement that will:
 Deliver reduced prescribing expenditure, both in-year and recurrently
 Contribute to achievement of PCT QIPP programme
 Deliver high quality, evidence-based, cost-effective prescribing change
 Increase overall cluster performance against unified budget
 Ensure medicines-related PBC schemes are successfully delivered, within the current financial year
and within budget
The framework will run from 01/10/2010 – 31/03/2011 and GP commissioners will call off support from
this framework between these dates. The type of support and length of support will vary depending on
specific schemes.
Key Requirements
 Projects must be overseen by a registered pharmacist
 Excellent interpersonal, communication and IT skills
 Familiarity with relevant GP software systems.(Knowledge of EMIS and System 1 is essential).
 Experience of providing prescribing medicines management advice and support at prescribing
adviser or practice pharmacist/technician level
 Proven track record of working with GP practices to deliver medicines management projects,
achieving required outcomes, on time and in budget
 Hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a car for the purposes of the service
Staffing requirements
Pharmacists
 Must be on the practicing section of the pharmaceutical register held by the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society of Great Britain (to become the General Pharmaceutical Council on 27th September 2010)

Must have Post-graduate qualification, at diploma, masters or doctorate level, in clinical pharmacy
or medicines management, or demonstrated equivalent knowledge and experience
Pharmacy technicians
 Registered with Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (to become the General
Pharmaceutical Council on 27th September 2010).
Quality standards
 PCT medicines management Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are to be used where available.
In all other circumstances, provider’s own SOPs to be submitted to PCT for approval, prior to use
 Registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will adhere to the current version of the
RPSGB/GPC Code of Ethics
 All staff involved in practice work have a positive CRB check
 Schedule of work to be provided to GP practice/cluster and PCT
 All interventions to be documented in practice clinical systems
 Adherence to local/national agreed formularies, guidelines and policies, including NICE and NPSA.
 Any proposed variation from a designated scheme as outlined to be submitted in writing to the GP
practice/cluster lead for consideration and approval
 The provider will be expected to comply with the clinical governance framework of the GP practice
and the PCT and to function under agreed operational and clinical policies
Performance management standards
 Performance measures, outcomes and/or indicators for each practice programme of work will be
agreed with PCT prior to start of work programme
 The service provider will submit relevant activity and performance data, against agreed scheme
performance indicators, to the PCT on a monthly basis for monitoring of the service and evaluation
of the quality and appropriateness of the service.
 Exception reporting, when appropriate will be specified and agreed prior to start of the work
programme
 The service provider will ensure that all relevant systems are in place to enable data to be provided
to the PCT and the participating practices on a monthly basis. This will require liaison with each
practice to gather some of the key performance indicators
Payment
 The provider will be funded for this work, based on the scheme aims and objectives, at a rate of
£40 per hour for pharmacist schemes, and £25-30 per hour, dependent on level of responsibility
required, for pharmacy technician schemes. This fee will cover all costs associated with delivery of
the service.
 Payment for this service will be based upon 60% payable at the beginning of the project, with the
remaining 40% available upon the receipt of final activity and outcomes report confirming
completion of the project and achievement of the scheme defined objectives, or submission of
exception report demonstrating reasons for failure to achieve.