Dear Jane
HIVPA have reviewed the Service Specification document B6a for Specialised HIV Services for Adults, and we feel that specialist pharmacy services are not defined sufficiently for commissioning purposes. We have prepared a few bullet points to add that will re-inforce the role that we play in the safe and effective provision of antiretroviral therapy. These very much align with the pharmacy-related issues in the latest BHIVA Standards document. I would be very grateful if you could include these in the final draft as we want to be part of the new model of care, that will emerge,supporting the best standard of care that we can achieve.
If you have any further queries about these comments, please feel free to call me on my mobile on 07947 469487.
Comments/additions
Under Service elements – overview Page 7
“Provision of specialist HIV pharmacy services overseeing procurement, dispensing and safe supply of antiretrovirals compliant with regulations”
“Clinical verification of prescriptions by a specialist HIV pharmacist”
“Support by pharmacy that enhances medicines optimisation across clinical networks as well as safe prescribing according to relevant guidelines”
“Specialist pharmacy services should lead on medication review, drug-drug interactions and complex patient management particularly those with co-morbidities”
“Mechanisms in place to alert primary care to drug-drug interactions and to advise on these”
Service elements – detailed pathway inclusions – outpatient services Page 10
“Access to same-day dispensing services and medicine information overseen by an appropriately qualified specialist HIV pharmacist”
Service elements – detailed pathway inclusions – inpatient services Page 11
“24 hour access to pharmacy services and specialist HIV pharmacist advice”
Service elements – Staffing and critical mass Page 13
“Requirements for qualification… professional bodies BHIVA,NHIVNA and HIVPA & RPSGB Faculty”
2.5 Interdependence.. Page 17
Co-located services
Routine HIV outpatient care
“Same-day access to specialist dispensing services close to HIV clinics”
We would add one comment about a proposed KPI which is “Improved adherence and compliance with treatment”. While we wholeheartedly agree this is the objective, measurement is subjective and we tend to use viral load outcomes as a surrogate for high adherence and this would be a better KPI that we currently provide.
Yours sincerely
David Ogden
On behalf of the HIV Pharmacy Association
Member of BHIVA Audit and Standards subcomittee