A decision by a Government NHS appeals panel to allow a commercial Pharmacy in Tarves – and withdrawing rights for a local doctors surgery to dispense medicine was described by Aberdeenshire Councillor as ‘Just plain nuts’
The National Appeals Panel [NAP] grant a licence to Central belt based firm Semple and Semple to open at Tarves in the former butchers shop. The company has now asked government’s NHS managers to prevent the medical practice for prescribing a their surgeries in Methlick, Tarves and Pitmedden, forcing patients to use the commercial pharmacy.
“The decision means that there will now be poorer health services in both Methlick and Udny. There is no saving to the taxpayer and in the end here will be a review of GP provision by the practice, which is a cause for concern as the dispensing service run by the GPs was a cost sharing arrangement which kept surgeries open. in the end of the day, this decision is just plain nuts and is taken simply because Semple and Semple have the right to demand this if they see it in their own commercial interests rather than the community’s interests” said Paul Johnston.
Semple and Semple have suggested that patients are prevented from using them if the arrangement to allow doctors surgeries to dispense, continues. However, Haddo Medical Group have previously acknowledged that there is no requirement or restriction on any patient to use the surgery’s own dispensing and local people do take prescriptions to Pharmacies where it is also convenient for them in nearby towns.
The concerns expressed by Local people to Councillor Paul Johnston was that those in Udny/Pitmedden and Methlick would now no longer have convenient dispensing and be forced to travel or make other arrangements instead of getting medicine from the local surgery which Semple and Semple want prevented from dispensing.
