Boots accused of abusing NHS scheme

Pharmacy chain Boots was accused of ripping off the National Health Service on Wednesday, by instructing staff to give patients ‘medicine use reviews’ (MURs), even if they don’t need them.

An investigation by the Guardian that managers at the high street pharmacy chain, part of the Nasdaq-listed Walgreens Boots Alliance group, told chemists to provide reviews to customers when dispensing so it could claim £28 for each review from the public purse.

The reviews are carried out by a qualified pharmacist, and are supposed to ensure patients have clear and up-to-date advice on the medicines they take, as well as other lifestyle choices.

One pharmacist was reportedly told to carry out an MUR on a patient with dementia, as well as one on himself. He said he also observed his manager enter a review into the store’s system, despite not completing it.

In a bid to prevent such an abuse of the system, NHS rules state each pharmacy can only claim 400 MURs each year, though the investigation uncovered evidence that some Boots staff were being told that was a store target.

A store carrying out the maximum number of reviews will receive £11,200 in a calendar year, which makes the scheme worth a potential £30m to the entire Boots chain.

The NHS confirmed it had no plans to discontinue the reviews, despite ongoing cash pressures - the deficit at NHS trusts was estimated at £2.3bn in February.

“[Medicine use reviews] help relieve the pressure on GPs and accident and emergency departments, ensure optimal use of medicines, better value and better patient outcomes, and contribute to delivering seven-day health and care services,” an NHS spokesperson was quoted as saying.