In case you missed it: Contraceptive Service, Hypertension and Pharmacy First Specifications and Information Links
Community Pharmacy England have prepared some resources for the above that have been shared in their newsletters since the announcement on 16th November. The links to these resources have been brought together below. If you don’t already receive Community Pharmacy England newsletters directly, make sure you sign up to receive then both to your email inbox and your pharmacy store email. You can sign up here.
Contraceptive Service
Here is the updated specification and Patient Group Directions (PGDs) for the Pharmacy Contraception Service, following the announcement that the service will be expanded from 1st December 2023. This expanded service will enable pharmacists to initiate oral contraception, as well as continuing to provide ongoing management of oral contraception that was initiated in general practice or a sexual health clinic (or equivalent). In our work with NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), other minor changes to the service specification and PGDs have been agreed. For more details see CPE’s service page .
Hypertension Service
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Pharmacy First Service
Following agreement between the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Community Pharmacy England, the service specification for the Pharmacy First service, which is due to commence at the end of January 2024, has been published. Alongside the service specification, the clinical pathways for the seven conditions which will be included in the service have also been published. The new Pharmacy First service will include these seven conditions, alongside the current elements of the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service – minor illness consultations and urgent supply of medicines, for people referred to the pharmacy (self-referral for these elements resulting in fee payment is not possible).
Download the service specification and clinical pathways
Remember in order to continue to offer CPCS you need to register for Pharmacy First. If contractors don’t opt in to provide Pharmacy First by January 31 or just before they will be de-listed from the list of pharmacies providing CPCS.
In order to qualify for the £2,000 initial payment contractors need to have registered for the service by the end of January 2024. Contractors need to have completed at least 1 consultation in February and 5 in March for the seven core conditions or the initial payment will be reclaimed. From 1st February there are minimum consultation numbers needed to be completed for the monthly £1,000 service payment – only the seven core condition consultations are counted towards these targets.
CPE will be publishing more guidance on the service and resources for pharmacy owners and their teams over the next few weeks. For more information Visit CPE’s Pharmacy First service webpage
Bundling requirement
DHSC and NHSE want to encourage pharmacy owners to provide all three services, Pharmacy Contraception, Hypertension Case-Finding Services and the new Pharmacy First service. Provision of all three services in a bundle is due to become a requirement to receive the monthly £1,000 Pharmacy First payment by 31st March 2025.
