UK phased out MURs

MEDICINES Use Reviews (MURs) are set to be phased out over the next two years in the UK under a new deal between the government, NHS and the Pharmaceutical Negotiating Committee (PSNC).

The deal has also seen the community pharmacy fund package - equivalent to the Community Pharmacy Agreement - frozen for the next five years at £2.59 billion a year.

The framework document was released yesterday, revealing community pharmacies will be allowed to provide a maximum of 250 MURs per pharmacy in 2019/20, falling to 100 in 2020/21.

MURs will be replaced by Structured Medicines Reviews, which will be conducted by “clinical pharmacists” working within primary care networks rather than community pharmacies.

These clinical pharmacists will be able to adjust prescribing and access patient health records.

As part of the five-year plan a new Community Pharmacist Consultation Service will be established by the NHS in Oct, with pharmacists to earn a £14 consultation fee.

The Pharmaceutical Journal reported that the deal has not been universally welcomed, receiving the backing of two-thirds of PSNC members.

However, PSNC CEO, Simon Dukes, said the agreement includes an annual review each autumn, which he said was “a crucial part” of the deal.

“While we have not succeeded in getting an increase in the overall sum, we have secured a commitment from the government to a protected £13bn over five years,” he said.

“These built-in reviews will provide real opportunities for us to monitor and consider crucial factors, such as costs, service volumes, pharmacy income and sector stress, and the PSNC will be using this evidence to make the case strongly for further investments in the sector.”