Background: In 2002, the government introduced a second contract option – the Local Pharmaceutical Services (LPS) contract.(1) The LPS contract aims to refocus services provided by pharmacies under the NHS, away from dispensing and towards local priorities. In so doing the contract fixes monthly dispensing income, enabling Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to fund additional local services

Aims: To describe the LPS Providers in the first wave of applications and the new additional services that they are providing.

Methods: As part of the National Evaluation of LPS Pilots, a postal questionnaire survey was sent to all LPS Providers to gather data on the nature of the pharmacies involved in the first wave of LPS. Additional details about the LPS services provided by these pharmacies were drawn from their LPS contracts. These data were triangulated with information from the LPS applications and site visits.

Results: The first wave of the new LPS contract is currently being piloted in 17 sites across England. These consist of 31 providers of LPS services, serving populations across 23 PCTs. The demographic characteristics of the LPS Providers, gathered through the questionnaire survey, are currently being analysed.

The preliminary findings indicate that there is substantial variation in the nature of LPS pilot schemes in the first wave. One set of pilots have a localised population focus, with a single Provider working with the PCT to offer services to a defined local population. These pilots are aimed at increasing access to pharmacy services, particularly in areas of poor primary health care provision. This is being facilitated by pharmacists taking an extended role in the community, for example, by providing a Minor Ailments service. Two pilot schemes are using multiple Providers to offer an extended range of services across a wide area within a PCT. The majority of pilots have a clinical focus, engaging with single or multiple providers, in order to meet local priorities. Often these pilots are addressing particular NHS targets, such as providing medication reviews as required in the NSF for the Elderly.

The services being provided across all of the LPS pilots, in this first wave, vary considerably. Each LPS contract outlines the requirements for the LPS services and defines the service according to local need. Consequently, whilst a number of pilots may be engaging in similar activities, they will all have different defining criteria and targets. Some pilots focus on a small number of services, whilst others define a broad range. Essentially, the services can be defined within three categories: dispensing; those locally arranged services which were provided pre-LPS; and new locally arranged LPS services.

Discussion: There is considerable variety in the nature of both Providers and services in the first wave of LPS. The piloting of the LPS contract has revealed complex services arrangements. The evaluation of these arrangements has the potential to play a significant role in informing the development of pharmacy contracts in the future.

1 Department of Health. Guidance notes of Local Pharmaceutical Services Pilots. 2001. London, Department of Health.