Consultation Room Requirements for Key Services

Consultation Room Requirements

Updated 17/10/2024

A useful summary of those services that require or do not require use of a consultation room is shown below. All contractors should note that having a consultation room of the correct specification is a requirement of the pharmacy contract.

Community Pharmacy England produced a useful summary of consultation room guidance accessible here: https://cpe.org.uk/our-news/regs-reminder-14-consultation-rooms-and-remote-consultations/

Service Service Type Use of consultation room req Y/N Contract wording Link to access full spec.
Lateral Flow Device National NO n/a link
Smoking Cessation National   Pharmacy contractors must have a consultation room at the pharmacy, which meets the applicable requirements of the Pharmaceutical Services Regulations…….

The pharmacist/pharmacy technician will then conduct an initial face-to-face consultation in the pharmacy consultation room (or a remote consultation if agreed to be suitable by the patient and the pharmacist/pharmacy technician)

link
Hypertension National YES (in the pharmacy setting) Pharmacies must have a consultation room that will be used for the provision of the service which meets the requirements in the terms of service. The consultation room should also comply with the following requirements:
• When measuring blood pressure, the patient must be able to rest their arm on a table/bench at a suitable height.
• must have IT equipment accessible within the consultation room to allow contemporaneous records of the consultations provided as part of this service to be made.
3.5 The service will usually be provided on the pharmacy premises, but patients can also be identified, and the service provided in other locations outside the pharmacy, such as areas not designated part of the pharmacy within supermarkets or large stores or in community locations with agreement from the commissioner.
This may include, but is not limited to:
• community centres
• sports grounds
• places of worship.
Where the service is provided from premises other than the registered pharmacy premises, contractors must ensure the location is appropriate for service provision (i.e. meets standards required by the General Pharmaceutical Council and that patient confidentiality can be maintained).
link
Contraception National YES (unless remote provision) Pharmacies must have a consultation room that will be used for the provision of the service which meets the requirements of the terms of service. Where a face-to-face consultation is the preferred access model for the person, these consultations must be delivered from the consultation room at the pharmacy.
3.9 Remote consultations are also permitted to be used to provide the service where assessed as clinically appropriate by the pharmacist. When undertaking remote
consultations, the contractor must ensure that there are arrangements in place at the pharmacy which enable staff to communicate confidentially with the person
receiving the service by telephone or another live audio link or a live video link. NHS Guidance to support community pharmacy teams can help to plan for this.
link
Pharmacy First National YES (unless remote provision) Pharmacies must have a consultation room that will be used for the provision of the service which meets the requirements of the terms of service. Where a face-to-face consultation is the preferred access model for the person, these consultations must be delivered from the consultation room at the pharmacy. There must be IT equipment accessible within the consultation room to allow contemporaneous records of the consultations provided as part of this service to be made within the NHS assured Pharmacy First IT system. link
Harm Reduction Local NO The Contractor staff ensures that supervised consumption takes place in a private or quiet area of the pharmacy identified as safe to staff and agreeable to the service user. link
Emergency Hormonal Contraception Local NO The pharmacy will deliver services in a non-judgmental and confidential way. The pharmacy will ensure that the confidentially of the young person is maintained, unless they divulge any information that suggests that they or someone else is at risk of harm or that a crime has been committed link
Flu Vaccination 24-25 National NO To provide the advanced service, there must be a consultation room at the pharmacy, which meets the applicable requirements of the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013. Vaccinations must take place in a consultation room wherever the Patient expresses this preference. Vaccinations can also be offered in any area where suitable facilities are available, infection control standards can be maintained, and Patient confidentiality and dignity is able to be respected. link
NMS National YES (unless remote provision) must have a consultation room at the pharmacy, which complies with the requirements detailed in the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 (as amended), part 4 schedule 4, paragraphs 28A – 28C. If NHS England and NHS Improvement have agreed that the pharmacy premises are too small for a consultation room5, then the contractor can instead provide the service remotely or in the patient’s home.                                                                                     The pharmacist and patient will have a discussion in the pharmacy’s consultation room, remotely (via telephone, another live audio link or live video link) or in the patient’s home. link