Pharmacy sector calls for cap on MURs to be lifted

Representatives of leading pharmacy chains have called for the annual cap on medicines use reviews (MURs) to be lifted for the benefit of patients.

Speaking to Chemist and Druggist, spokespeople for Alliance Boots and Day Lewis said the cap of 400 MURs a year per pharmacy, which was re-confirmed in the 2014-15 funding settlement, is not helpful for patients.

MURs are a free NHS service that allow pharmacy visitors to discuss their medicines with a pharmacist, helping them to better understand how they should be used and why they were prescribed.

Kirit Patel, chief executive of Day Lewis, said the current limit is a "one-size-fits-all, broad-brush policy" that works against pharmacies that deal with large amounts of patients, as it means that many will not be able to benefit from the service.

Meanwhile, Alliance Boots director of healthcare Richard Ashworth said he understood the need for constraints from a financial perspective, but agreed that the cap should be lifted "from a patient point of view".