Pharmacy First
Over 90% of community pharmacies in Kent and Medway have now signed up to provide the Pharmacy First service.
The service is due to commence on 31st January 2024, subject to the required IT systems being in place. A significant amount of work to get NHS, pharmacy and GP IT systems ready to support the service is still ongoing within NHS England, the NHSBSA and by IT system suppliers.
Introduction and background
Community Pharmacy England made a proposal to the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England for a Pharmacy First service back in March 2022 and followed up on our bid with an extensive influencing campaign to build wider support for the proposal from stakeholders and influencers.
The Pharmacy First service, which commenced on 31st January 2024, is a crucial first step in recognising and properly funding the enormous amount of healthcare advice that community pharmacies provide to the public every day and in establishing and funding community pharmacy as the first port of call for healthcare advice.
What does the service involve?
The Advanced service involves pharmacists providing advice and NHS-funded treatment, where clinically appropriate, for seven common conditions (age restrictions apply):
Consultations for these seven clinical pathways can be provided to patients presenting to the pharmacy as well as those referred electronically by NHS 111, general practices and others.
The service also incorporates the elements of the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service, i.e. minor illness consultations with a pharmacist and the supply of urgent medicines (and appliances), both following an electronic referral from NHS 111, general practices (urgent supply referrals are not allowed from general practices) and other authorised healthcare providers (i.e. patients are not able to present to the pharmacy without an electronic referral).
In the clinical pathway consultations with a pharmacist, people with symptoms suggestive of the seven conditions will be provided with advice and will be supplied, where clinically necessary, with a prescription-only treatment under a Patient Group Direction (PGD) or in one pathway, an over-the-counter medicine (supplied under a clinical protocol), all at NHS expense.
In the future, we hope that independent prescribers will be able to use their skills to complete episodes of care within the service, without the need for a PGD. However, for the time being, all pharmacists providing the service must use the PGDs and clinical protocol.
Key Documents
The following key documents have now been published.
- Service specification
- Clinical pathways
- 23 PGDs
- Protocol
Pharmacists must read and sign-up to the PGDs and protocol, before providing the service. You can use the PGD and Protocol sign-up sheet to record this.
Registering to provide the service
Pharmacy owners can register to provide the service on MYS. However, you will not now be entitled to the £2,000 initial fixed payment.
Pharmacy First
Over 90% of community pharmacies in Kent and Medway have now signed up to provide the Pharmacy First service.
The service is due to commence on 31st January 2024, subject to the required IT systems being in place. A significant amount of work to get NHS, pharmacy and GP IT systems ready to support the service is still ongoing within NHS England, the NHSBSA and by IT system suppliers.
Introduction and background
Community Pharmacy England made a proposal to the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England for a Pharmacy First service back in March 2022 and followed up on our bid with an extensive influencing campaign to build wider support for the proposal from stakeholders and influencers.
The Pharmacy First service, which commenced on 31st January 2024, is a crucial first step in recognising and properly funding the enormous amount of healthcare advice that community pharmacies provide to the public every day and in establishing and funding community pharmacy as the first port of call for healthcare advice.
What does the service involve?
The Advanced service involves pharmacists providing advice and NHS-funded treatment, where clinically appropriate, for seven common conditions (age restrictions apply):
Consultations for these seven clinical pathways can be provided to patients presenting to the pharmacy as well as those referred electronically by NHS 111, general practices and others.
The service also incorporates the elements of the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service, i.e. minor illness consultations with a pharmacist and the supply of urgent medicines (and appliances), both following an electronic referral from NHS 111, general practices (urgent supply referrals are not allowed from general practices) and other authorised healthcare providers (i.e. patients are not able to present to the pharmacy without an electronic referral).
In the clinical pathway consultations with a pharmacist, people with symptoms suggestive of the seven conditions will be provided with advice and will be supplied, where clinically necessary, with a prescription-only treatment under a Patient Group Direction (PGD) or in one pathway, an over-the-counter medicine (supplied under a clinical protocol), all at NHS expense.
In the future, we hope that independent prescribers will be able to use their skills to complete episodes of care within the service, without the need for a PGD. However, for the time being, all pharmacists providing the service must use the PGDs and clinical protocol.
The following key documents have now been published.
- Service specification
- Clinical pathways
- 23 PGDs
- Protocol
Pharmacists must read and sign-up to the PGDs and protocol, before providing the service. You can use the PGD and Protocol sign-up sheet to record this.
Registering to provide the service
Pharmacy owners can register to provide the service on MYS. However, you will not now be entitled to the £2,000 initial fixed payment.
For Pharmacy First leaflet please click here
