From 31 January, community pharmacies across England will be able to choose to provide a ‘common conditions’ service – provided appropriate IT support is in place.
Community pharmacies will be allowed to prescribe contraceptives from next month, NHS England announced today.
Since April this year, community pharmacies have been able to use guidance from patient groups to manage ongoing monitoring and repeat provision of oral contraceptive pills that have been initiated by GPs or sexual health services.
The next phase of the service – where pharmacists can also start prescriptions – was originally due to launch in September but will now go live from December.
According to NHS England, the product will be available to “nearly 500,000 women” upon launch. Once more pharmacies join the scheme, women will be able to use the NHS website to search for their nearest participating pharmacy.
A workload praised in the primary care recovery plan will be transferred to pharmacies, including prescribing medicines for seven common conditions: sinusitis; sore throat; earache; infected insect bites; impetigo; shingles ; and simple urinary tract infection in women.
The Pharmacy First scheme was due to launch before the end of 2023, but NHS England said today it would be implemented “early next year”.
It added that a consultation has also been launched to enable pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medications and responses are currently being reviewed.
However, the BMA’s GP committee warned against making antibiotics more accessible.
As part of the scheme, community pharmacies will also be able to access and add to patient records currently maintained by GPs. The recovery plan aims to implement a comprehensive approach to free up 10 million GP appointments a year by next winter.
Pharmacy Priority Program
Under the PGD, pharmacists will be able to consult with patients and treat sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles and simple urinary tract infection in women, including where appropriate Antibiotics are provided below.
Pharmacies that sign up to the service by a yet-to-be-confirmed deadline will receive an upfront payment of £2,000 per pharmacy ahead of its launch on January 31.
Participating pharmacies will receive a fixed monthly payment of £1,000 based on a minimum number of consultations provided per month (which increases year-on-year, from 1 in February to 30 in October).
In addition to this, they will receive a payment of £15 per consultation, with a payment cap due to be implemented in the second half of 2024/25.
All pharmacies registered for this premium service must operate all seven PGDs, except for remote sales pharmacies, which will provide six services but not a clinical pathway for acute otitis media (ear pain).
Once Pharmacy First is launched, it will be promoted to patients through government campaigns and the medicines will be made available to patients through the normal PGD route utilizing prescription fees and exemptions.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “This is really good news for women – we all lead increasingly busy lives and thanks to this action they can Go straight to your local pharmacy when you need or want it instead of making an appointment with your GP.” Get contraception.
“We will also expand the service to provide more health checks for patients on the high street, which will not only be better and easier for patients but will also free up the NHS to provide more to those who need it most GP appointment.”
Newly appointed Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “It’s great to start my term as Secretary of State with a positive example of the Government, NHS and pharmaceutical sectors working together to reach agreements to improve services and save lives. career.”
“For the public, these changes mean more choices for women when choosing their preferred contraceptive method, lowering people’s risk of heart disease and stroke, and easier access to medicines for common conditions.”
“For healthcare professionals, this will save time on GP appointments and make better use of the skills and expertise of community pharmacies.”
Dr Clare Fuller, NHS Medical Director for Primary Care and Chief GP for NHS England, said: “Local pharmacies are a trusted part of our communities, with GPs and pharmacists working closely together. Pharmacists are always available Continuity and long-term support is provided for patients, families and carers. It is therefore a safe and common-sense way of making it easier for patients to use NHS services.”
William Pate, director of policy, public affairs and research at Healthwatch England, said: “Women across England will welcome the convenience of buying contraceptive pills at their local pharmacy. Being able to see a GP in a timely manner remains a top concern for the public. If this Initiatives that are effectively communicated and implemented will make a real difference to patients and relieve pressure on health services.
“There may be underlying issues, such as pharmacists not being able to see enough people’s GP records or the ability for different communities and areas to access the new service.” However, if the evaluation is good, the NHS will be able to ensure this promising new service actually Serve patients.
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