"Country Doctor"
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Go on - open your own pharmacy
David Roberts: pharmacy development consultancy
"By a GP, for GPs"
"Country Doctor"
JOIN CDA NEWS INDEX POLITICS DISPENSING EDUCATION FEATURES BOOKS SMALL ADS GP FEES LIGHT BITES LINKS FEEDBACK
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an immediate reference from three successful clients please call Dr Tim Reed's is a particularly interesting case as a previous application, using a different adviser, had failed just two years previously. Dr Bharat Khetani only consulted me for the Appeal which we won. Dr Mackin's application was rejected by the PCT but we won at Appeal. Dr Irwin's application was a straight win. These colleagues will be very happy to talk to you.
Urgent However, any application submitted under the current regulations will be considered under these regulations. So, as it takes some time to put together an application, in some circumstances, it is important to get on with it if you are not to miss a golden opportunity. Meantime... Yes, it's true. Following regulation changes over the past few years it has never been easier for companies of GPs to own their own pharmacy with all the benefits, financial and otherwise, which go with that. And you don't have to be a dispensing doctor. The changes apply even more to urban practices even if there are already one or more pharmacies nearby. And what's more the pharmacy won't mean much in the way of extra work because the Royal Pharmaceutical Society regulations insist that the responsibility for running it must be in the hands of your superintendent pharmacist, so give it some serious thought. Just as a taster, do remember that virtually every patient may use an in-house pharmacy - from day one! There are a number of routes through the new Control of Entry regulations - thanks to Sainsbury's and Tesco's who were responsible for the Office of Fair Trading enquiry of five years ago. One secure and certain route is known as the "100-hour pharmacy". To learn more about its viability, give me a call on 01462 434515 or Davidroberts@doctors.org.uk or, even, 0796 3041 668 to get the ball rolling. I will immediately give you an indication of your chances of success whichever route you choose and, if they are realistic, offer to follow that up with a visit to your practice to meet all the partners to thoroughly discuss all the possibilities. The meeting, which could, if you wish, last most of the day, will be informal and I will be open to questions at any time and on any related subject. Typically my visits start at around 10 a.m. with a meeting with the lead partner for the project and the practice manager. Initially we have an general, wide-ranging discussion on the subject. Then, sometime before lunch I ask to be shown around the practice, particularly concentrating on the local pharmacies, in order to gain some idea of the standard of service they provide to the community. The rest of the day, from lunchtime onwards is spent with all the interested partners in a wide ranging, no holds barred discussion. First of all I will give each partner a copy of a detailed booklet on the project specially written for the practice and amounting to some 15-20,000 words based on a questionnaire which I send earlier.. A not unimportant section of the booklet will be a close assessment of the potential profitability of the enterprise using your own practice figures. Other parts set out the Control of Entry Regulations for a pharmaceutical services contract with the PCT and briefly list the books and evidence needed for a successful application together with, hopefully, everything else you will need to know. It concludes with my suggestion for the best way forward. We will then thoroughly discuss the best route for the partnership application to take and go through the regulations, documents, material and evidence needed to put in a comprehensive and detailed application whilst avoiding the pitfalls which could lead to failure. The possible objections of pharmacists and others will be covered to enable suitable pre-emptive defences to be included in the application. This discussion and planning meeting could take several hours. As I said, there are no holds barred and I expect to be grilled! By the end of the afternoon you will be in a first class position to make that vital decision about putting together that application for your own platinum-standard pharmacy. The fee charged for this, Stage one, will be minute in comparison with the potential gains for most practices and, of course, it will be tax-allowable. The partners at one practice found they could reasonably expect an additional annual income of £50,000 each and a business worth around £1million even before trading begins. When I have been engaged I will help to put together an effective application for a pharmacy contract. To make this easy I will send, in stages, a template of the application for the addition of local information. I will then examine and discuss each stage with the practice before the whole is submitted to the PCT. To be effective the application will need to be detailed and comprehensive and will take a little time to put together. Once again there will be a reasonable fee At all times, as the application is being prepared, I will be very pleased to answer any queries by e-mail or telephone as they arise. You can depend upon my availability at all times. Even outside "office" hours. I am not a 9 to 5-er! Of course, there is more to a developing a pharmacy than simply gaining a contract. There is the designing and fitting out of your premises. But don't worry, I can even help out there, too. If you are interested in finding out more about all this - and why should you not be? - please contact me as above, Davidroberts@doctors.org.uk, to talk it over, discuss fees and to make the appointment for that vital first visit. Remember, this applies to all practices, urban or rural who may wish to supplement their income whilst providing complete primary care. Don't forget, the fees are a tax-allowable business expense and that a successful outcome will present you with greater patient and practice satisfaction and a business worth up to £1million. In the meantime I hope that you will find my book helpful. "Your own pharmacy", David Roberts, Radcliffe Medical, ISBN 1-85775-630-4 Remember, the regulations are changing so let's get started. You have less than 1 year before the door may close!
For the complete pharmacy application and design service by a GP for GPs contact David Roberts on 01462 434515 or 0796 3041 668 "You know it makes sense!"
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