Thursday 1st May 2025   

Welcome to your weekly injection of local and national pharmacy news. As always, if you have any feedback or comments, please contact us by email at admin@cpdevon.org.uk.

Single activity fee increase to £1.46 per item.

Pharmacy first clinical pathways and Minor illness consultations have increased from £15 to £17 there has also been the introduction of the caps that have been introduced for the clinical pathways.

Hypertension case findings has seen clinic checks reduce to £10 and an increase in ABPM readings to £50.85.

Pharmacy contraception service has now increased from £18 to £25.

The payment structure for NMS has been simplified to a £14 fee for each Intervention or Follow up consultation provided to the patient, i.e. a total fee of £28 will be paid if the pharmacy has undertaken both the Intervention and Follow up consultations.

This change to the funding structure does not change the existing service requirement to undertake the Intervention consultation and to try to contact the patient to undertake the Follow up consultation. A £14 payment can only be claimed if a consultation has been undertaken with the patient.

If the patient cannot be contacted by the pharmacy to undertake a consultation, the fee for that consultation cannot be claimed.

For example, two £14 fees can be claimed in the end of month MYS claim once the Intervention consultation and Follow up consultation have been provided to the patient. Similarly, one £14 fee can be claimed in the end of month MYS claim if the Intervention consultation has been provided and the pharmacy tries, but fails to contact the patient for the Follow up consultation (which does not take place and hence cannot be claimed for).

It is VITAL to ensure that you make every attempt to contact the patient.

If you require any support from the secretariat team in regards to maximising the NHS contract please feel free to email admin@cpdevon.org.uk and support can be scheduled.

As with last week a reminder that to qualify for the PQS payment you need to be signed up to deliver Pharmacy First and the pharmacy contraception service.

The 2025/26 scheme began on 1st April 2025 and has a declaration period between 9am on 2nd February 2026 and 11.59pm on 27th February 2026. Pharmacy owners must have evidence to demonstrate meeting the domains that they have claimed for by the end of 31st March 2026. It has £30 million funding available and pharmacy owners will be able to claim an Aspiration payment if they wish to between 9am on 1st May 2025 and 11.59pm on 16th May 2025. Please see workbook here.

Reminder to Start Respiratory Domain

Referral of patients aged 5 to 15 years who do not have a spacer and all patients using 3 or more short-acting bronchodilators without any corticosteroid inhaler in 6 months.  

Please see here for a reminder of the risks of overusing short-acting beta 2 agonists (SABA) (salbutamol and terbutaline) in asthma and to be aware of changes in the SABA prescribing guidelines - GOV.UK

New Contract

Do you know what the new funding is for the new contract?

Do you understand the new thresholds and "bundling" requirements for Pharmacy First?

Do you know that NMS funding will be simplified and that it will be expanded to include depression?

PQS 2025/26

Do you know what training your healthcare professionals need to complete and by when?

Do you know what you need to do to meet the gateway criterion?

Do you know what criteria you need to achieve in order to claim for the 2 domains?

Click here for both of these Virtual Outcomes training modules.

Please see below support available for NHS staff with free confidential coaching and support for the primary care workforce:

• Wellbeing apps: NHS staff have been given free access to a number of wellbeing apps to support their mental health and wellbeing.

• Mental Health and Wellbeing: Guidance and advice on how you can stay mentally healthy and boost your wellbeing from Pharmacists’ Support.

• Addiction support: Information about the free and confidential addiction support provided by Pharmacists Support.

• Managing your finances: Information and guidance on money management and finding financial assistance from Pharmacists Support.

• Physical Health: Support on Physical Health from Pharmacists Support, including how to easily incorporate exercise and healthy eating into your daily routine, and the benefits of doing so.

• Royal Pharmaceutical Society Wellbeing Guide from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

If you have a positive news story to share with us please send it to admin@cpdevon.org.uk and it will be featured in an upcoming edition of the review. If featured, you will also win a surprise gift for you and your team up to the value of £25!

Click the name you need to email them directly: