Pharmacy Publication Scheme

Publication Scheme For ‘ASDA Pharmacy part of ASDA Stores Ltd.’

Welcome to the Publication Scheme for ‘ASDA Pharmacy part of ASDA Stores Ltd’ about the NHS services provided, as required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Introduction

This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely made available to the public by ‘ASDA Pharmacy’ about National Health Service Pharmaceutical Services.

How much does it cost?

The publications are free unless otherwise indicated. Where information is provided at a cost, the charges will be calculated as set out in Class 7 below.

How is the information made available?

The information within each Class is available from:

Faisal Tuddy, Superintendent Pharmacist, ASDA House, Great Wilson St., Leeds LS11 5AD

Your Rights to Information

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 recognises that members of the public have the right to know how public services are organised and run, how much they cost and how the decisions are made.
Since January 1st 2005, pharmacies are obliged to respond to requests about the NHS related information that they hold and will create a right of access to that information. These rights are subject to some exemptions that have to be taken into consideration before releasing information.
In addition to accessing the information identified in the Publication Scheme, you are entitled to request information about our pharmacies under the NHS Openness Code 1995.
Under the Data Protection Act 2018, you are also entitled to access your patient medication records or other personal information held about you and you can contact the pharmacist in your ASDA Pharmacy to do this. Please visit our Privacy Centre for more information about your data protection rights and how to exercise them.

Feedback

If you have any comments about the operation of the Publication Scheme, or how we have dealt with your request for information from the scheme, please write to:

Faisal Tuddy, Superintendent Pharmacist, ASDA House, Great Wilson St., Leeds, LS11 5AD

Or by email: [email protected]

Classes of information

All NHS information at ASDA Pharmacy is held, retained and destroyed within NHS guidelines. Our commitment to publish information excludes any information that can be legitimately withheld under the exemptions set out in the NHS Openness Code or Freedom of Information Act 2000. Where individual Classes are subject to exemptions, the main reasons are the protection of commercial interests and personal information under the Data Protection Act 2018. This applies to all Classes within the Publication Scheme. The information on this Scheme is grouped into the following broad categories:

1. Who we are

ASDA Pharmacy is part of ASDA Stores Ltd, which is in itself part of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Pharmaceutical Services

NHS Area Teams and other bodies have made arrangements with our pharmacies for the provision of pharmaceutical services under section 41 of the National Health Act 1977. The pharmacies are contracted to provide a range of NHS services. (A full list of these of these services will appear below in Class 2.)

For details of the NHS Area Teams we contract with, contact:

Faisal Tuddy, Superintendent Pharmacist, ASDA House, Great Wilson St., Leeds, LS11 5AD

Details of the pharmacists employed in a specific pharmacy can be obtained by contacting that pharmacy directly. Alternatively, details of all pharmacists registered in the UK are available from the General Pharmaceutical Council Society Tel: 020 3713 8000

We may also employ locum pharmacists from time to time.

A complete list of pharmacies undertaking to provide pharmaceutical services to the NHS in a particular area can be provided by contacting the local NHS Area Team.

Some information may be withheld, including personal and confidential information.

2. Our services

The range of services we provide under contract to NHS and free of charge, is set out below. Some services are not available in all pharmacies.

· dispensing of NHS prescriptions for drugs, medicines and Drug Tariff listed appliances

· record keeping for dispensed medicines

· care homes

· syringe and needle exchange

· safe disposal of unwanted medicines

· repeat dispensing

· minor ailments schemes

· the supply of prescription-only medicines under written patient group directions

In addition, our pharmacies provide the following services for which there is no NHS remuneration:

· sale of over the counter medicines

· advice from the pharmacist

· prescription collection service

· confidential help and advice

· emergency supplies of prescription only medicines

· smoking cessation support

· dispensing of private and veterinary prescriptions

The services provided in individual pharmacies are listed in the practice leaflet, which is available for members of the public to collect in pharmacies providing NHS services. The practice leaflet also gives details of the opening hours for the pharmacy.

Opening times can vary between locations, so please contact your local pharmacy directly to confirm.

3. Financial and funding information

Current NHS prescription charges are on display in our pharmacies. Further information on NHS prescription charges and who is exempt from charges can by found on the Department of Health website.

These charges are set annually by the Department of Health.

The prescription charge is paid directly to the NHS. It is not received by the pharmacist and does not form part of any remuneration to ASDA Pharmacy for NHS pharmaceutical services. Each pharmacy receives reimbursement for the cost of drugs and a dispensing fee as detailed in the Drug Tariff.

Some information in this class may not be released because it is confidential or commercial information or its release may be prejudicial to the conduct of the pharmacy’s affairs.

4. Information about policies, prescribing and prescriptions

Each of our pharmacies operates a number of policies and procedures relating to the dispensing of prescriptions, the services, which we provide and the operation of those pharmacies. Details of the policies, which are in place in relation to each pharmacy, and copies of those policies, are available on written request from the Superintendent Pharmacist at Faisal Tuddy, Superintendent Pharmacist, ASDA House, Great Wilson St, Leeds LS11 5AD or [email protected].

There may be circumstances in which some of the material in this Class cannot be released, for example because it is confidential or commercial information, or it is personal information , or because the appropriate officer designated for these purposes under the Act has taken the view that releasing the information may be prejudicial to the conduct of our affairs.

We may make a charge for providing some of the information, which falls within this Class (especially where the documentation you request is substantial and significant copying and/or postage costs may be involved). We will tell you the amount of the charge at the time you make the request, and it will be payable before the document in question is provided to you.

5. Regular publications and information for the public

We display a range of leaflets. These are published from a variety of sources mostly from non-public funds. We occasionally receive information from the NHS Area Teams, which we make available to the public. We also publish a range of information leaflets about medical conditions and the clinical services we provide to the public. These are all freely available from our pharmacies.

6. Complaints

Our aim is to provide you with the best level of service possible. If you are unhappy with our prescription service, please:

Ask to speak to the pharmacist.

If you are still not satisfied, ask to see the Store Manager.

If in the unlikely event that you are still unhappy, please write to the following address:

Faisal Tuddy, Superintendent Pharmacist, ASDA House, Great Wilson St., Leeds, LS11 5AD

If you are not happy with our response, you can write to your NHS Area Team their address and telephone number will be provided on request.

Our complaints policy is in line with the Pharmaceutical Services Regulations and the NHS complaints policy.

7. This Publication Scheme

In this class we will publish any changes we make to this Publication Scheme, the criteria on which our information management policies are made and a referral point for all enquires regarding information management generally in practice. We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.

Cost of Information

For the most part, we will only charge for hard copies, or copies onto media. Charges will be reviewed regularly.

Requests for paper copies, multiple printouts, or for archived copies of documents, which are no longer accessible or available on the web, may attract a charge for the retrieval, photocopy, postage etc. We will let you know the cost and charges that will have to be paid in advance. We will not provide printouts of other organisations’ websites.

a) Current leaflets and brochures on, for example, services we offer to the public are available from our pharmacies free of charge.

b) E-mail will be free of charge.

Useful resources:

Websites:

www.asda.com
Information Commissioner
NHS Freedom of Information

Publications:
NHS Openness Code
Freedom of Information Act 2000
FOI Act 2000 Explanatory Notes
Code of Practice under Section 45 FOI Act 2000
Code of Practice under Section 46 FOI Act 2000

Copyright

Material available through this Publication Scheme is subject to copyright and may not be copied without permission. For HMSO Guidance Notes see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Updated March 2019