- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 15 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue new guidance on needle exchange following the publication of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance in February 2009.
Answer
National guidelines for services providing injection equipment to injecting drug users are currently being developed by a Guideline Development Group established under the Phase 2 Hepatitis C Action Plan. The guideline will be published by July 2009.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the arrangements for permitting new pharmacy dispensing licences in an area already served by a dispensing GP are appropriate in that they are different from the regulations in England.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23373 on 13 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers proposals to open a new dispensing pharmacy in an area served by a dispensing GP as a “change to local service delivery” that requires public consultation in terms of the National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004.
Answer
It is for NHS boards to consider the duties placed upon them by the National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004. The Scottish Government are not involved in considering applications to open new community pharmacies. However, we are currently considering an amendment to the relevant Regulations in relation to public consultation where an NHS board receives any application to open a new pharmacy and I would be happy to update the member in due course.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards in respect of determining “need and desirability” as criteria for establishing whether a new pharmacy licence should be granted in an area served by a dispensing GP.
Answer
NHS boards consider applications to open community pharmacies in line with the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services)(Scotland) Regulations 1995. These provide the framework for the handling of applications and associated appeals and leave discretion with NHS boards to determine the outcome of an application. We have not issued further directions or guidance to NHS boards. They must satisfy themselves that the provision of pharmaceutical services at the premises named in the application is necessary or desirable in order to secure provision of pharmaceutical services in the neighbourhood in which the premises are located. This is a matter for the individual NHS board concerned; we have no involvement in those decisions.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards regarding whom they should consult about any proposed change in service resulting from the approval of a pharmacy licence in an area served by a dispensing GP.
Answer
I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-23366 and S3W-23367 on 13 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its letter to Anne McGuire MP on 28 September 2007, whether it still considers that an existing requirement for a dispensing GP can be altered in favour of a pharmacy licence without public consultation.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to S3W-23367 on 13 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will impose a moratorium on all pharmacy licence applications in areas covered by a dispensing GP until it has reviewed the process and the effects of previous applications.
Answer
NHS boards consider applications to open community pharmacies in accordance with the provisions of the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services)(Scotland) Regulations 1995. The Scottish Government cannot intervene in the consideration of the applications and do not have powers to suspend the operation of the regulations, which are subordinate legislation.
However, we are currently considering an amendment to the relevant Regulations in relation to public consultation where an NHS board receives any application to open a new pharmacy and I would be happy to update the member in due course.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new pharmacies have opened in rural areas covered by a dispensing GP since 2005 and what effect this has had on the practices.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 13 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Health Council has been asked to comment on the consultation process or given general advice on consultation regarding the granting of a pharmacy licence in an area already served by a dispensing GP.
Answer
The Scottish Government is not involved in the process for considering applications to open new community pharmacies. I am not aware whether any NHS board has approached the Scottish Health Council in relation to any such application to open a community pharmacy in an area served by a dispensing GP practice.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when the refreshed review of the Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Strategy will be published.
Answer
The Heart Disease and Stroke Action Plan, as it is now called, will be published next month.
