Palliative Care Drugs Stockist Scheme

Updated 19/03/2025

Palliative Care Drugs Stockists Final Lincolnshire PC 2025-2026 SLA + Service Spec

We have been made aware that an email regarding the Palliative Care Drug Stockist Scheme was sent out to some East Midlands LPC colleagues, and to Lincolnshire contractors currently signed up to deliver the service, on 7^th March including the SLA shown above. Were it not for a contractor raising concerns, and us subsequently asking if other East Midlands LPCs had received any communication, we would have no sight of these changes. This appears to be the first correspondence regarding the Palliative Care Drug Stockist Scheme renewal (which was not sent to Community Pharmacy Lincolnshire as the LPC for the county) by the Team; this is most concerning as the current service is due to end in less than two weeks. We have therefore contacted the East Midlands Team and the ICB, noting our concerns.

Regulations under the NHS Act requires NHS England to consult LPCs on matters such as market entry and local enhanced services, under which the Palliative Care Drug Stockist Scheme falls. 

We have not been consulted regarding this service in any way and as an appointed representative body for contractors, we are are including this message on our website to advise you of the current status for the LPC in relation to this service.

We are yet to review the SLA in full and consider impacts on Lincolnshire contractors. We will be reviewing these as a matter of urgency, considering both support for patients and other key stakeholders within the ICB who rely on this service (such as the palliative care teams). We have suggested extending the current contract for one further month, while we arrange an urgent review of the SLA. We have also asked to meet with the team to discuss next steps prior to the SLA start date.

We’re sharing this information to ensure that you are aware of Community Pharmacy Lincolnshire’s position regarding the commissioning of this service. However, any decision regarding signing up for, and agreeing to provide such as commissioned service remains the prerogative of individual contractors.

We await the Regional Team’s response

About the scheme

The aim of the scheme is to provide patients in need of palliative or end-of-life medicines with good symptom control and maintenance by ensuring that there is increased accessibility to palliative care drugs through an agreed network of pharmacies spread geographically across Lincolnshire.

This is a limited service and funding is only available to pharmacies who have agreed participation with the East Midlands NHSE&I team and Community Pharmacy Lincolnshire in advance, and who have completed the Service Level Agreement (SLA).

The East Midlands Team have confirmed the a new SLA was sent out to contractors to sign when the service was extended in September 2021 to end of September 2022. The extension SLA will have been sent out before September 2021 in order to be in place for the extension and will have been done so via e-mail. It is included below:

• Oct2021 to Sep2022_FINAL_PC_DRUG_STOCKIST_SCHEME_specSLA_LINCs

Former SLA

• Apr2021 to Sep2021_FINAL_PC_DRUG_STOCKIST_SCHEME_specSLA_LINCs

Formulary

• Amended Palliative Care Formulary Lincs 08-11-2022 (updated 8th November 2022)

The following pharmacies are currently signed up to provide this service as at 14th June 2022:

If you are interested in participating, please contact Community Pharmacy Lincolnshire using info@pharmacylincolnshire.org. (We cannot guarantee acceptance however).