Auditor General’s investigation registers success of POYC scheme

The majority of pharmacy clients interviewed by the National Audit Office in an audit of the Pharmacy Of Your Choice scheme has found the initiative to have been an improvement over the older system of dispensation through health centre pharmacies.

The Auditor General conducted a study that assessed the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of the POYC, which allows clients to collect government medications from their local dispensaries.

"While the end client feedback on the scheme was, by and large, positive, participating pharmacies expressed a number of concerns," the NAO said in a statement.

While the participating pharmacies commented positively on the support afforded to them by the POYC unit, they indicated a number of challenges relating to their role in the administration of this scheme.

Most notable, though not within the POYC Unit's control, was the issue of having pharmaceutical products out of stock, which subsequently strained the pharmacist-client relationship.

The advantages to the POYC scheme has been the significant reduction in clients' waiting times, coupled with a favourable response that indicates the better accessibility of service provided by the numerous pharmacies participating in the scheme, as opposed to the limited number of health centre pharmacies that previously dispensed the meds.

"The POYC scheme clearly emerged as a client-centred means of pharmaceutical entitlement dispensation, particularly when compared to the health centre pharmacy system. Improved quality of service inevitably results in increased costs and, in this context, NAO gauged the POYC Scheme's costs to represent a substantial increase over that previously incurred by the health centre pharmacy system of dispensation."

The NAO also found the POYC Unit clearly emerged as a professionally managed entity, suitably equipped to administer a scheme of this magnitude and importance.

"NAO concluded that the system of Standard Operating Procedures employed by the Unit was commendable, ensuring high levels of consistency thereby contributing towards the reduction of errors. The manner by which stock was handled and managed during all the internal and delivery processes was rigorous and very proficient, which ensured high quality service levels."