North East London ICB’s chief pharmacist has spoken about how close collaboration with local LPC representatives has helped pave the way for a forthcoming position statement on the use of branded generic medicines.

Sharing a stage with Community Pharmacy North East London chief executive Shilpa Shah at the Pharmacy Show yesterday (October 15), chief pharmacist Raliat Onatade said the ICB is formulating a position statement that will say it is 'not appropriate to use branded generics as a cost saving tool' as she summarised it.

Ms Onatade said Ms Shah had “quietly and persistently” raised the issue in channels such as regular meetings in which the LPC represents the interests of its 375 contractors.  

Ms Onatade said the practice of relying on branded generics had come about as a “quick fix” because commissioners are being “pushed to make millions and millions of pounds in savings in the drugs budget,” but that they had asked themselves “why we in the ICB are doing something that has such a negative impact on community pharmacies.

Ms Shah said the LPC has come to work “really well” with the ICB and encouraged other community pharmacy representatives to develop these close working relationships.

Taking the opportunity to engage with ICB officials has led to other benefits, said Ms Shah, including work on IT that has helped pharmacies in the area deliver over 90,000 CPCS referrals and funding support for new services like hypertension case funding and the forthcoming common conditions service.