Thursday 26th June 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.

A new streamlined process for making claims for the Discharge Medicines service will come into effect from 6th July 2025. Following feedback from Community Pharmacy England about the lengthy claim process, NHS England and NHSBSA have agreed to introduce a shortened process for making claims for DMS. In time, an API will be introduced to support transfer of data on DMS provisions from clinical services IT systems to the NHSBSA's Manage Your service (MYS) portal.

The new MYS process will allow pharmacy owners to make and submit claims for the three stages of DMS. Pharmacy owners can still do all three stages of the service or a combination of stages 1,2 or 3 depending on the needs of the patient; pharmacy owners should continue to only submit claims for payment once all of the stages they are able to provide are completed.

You can find out more about DMS here. 

Sue attended an inspiring event this week at Buckfast Abbey when the pharmacists who are participating in the Independent Prescribing Pathfinder got together for their first face to face workshop since the start of the programme.  Although a small number of pharmacies are involved overall in Devon the feedback and sharing of ideas, case studies and best practice was excellent.   The value that community pharmacist prescribing could bring to the healthcare system in terms of benefits to patients is undeniable and certainly we are hoping that this will be recognised both nationally and local.

The Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Project for community pharmacists in Devon is part of a broader NHS England initiative aimed at integrating independent prescribing into community pharmacy services.

🌟 What is the Pathfinder Programme? An  Overview

The Pathfinder Programme enables selected community pharmacists—already qualified as independent prescribers—to deliver prescribing services as part of integrated primary care. The majority of ICBs in the country are participating, Devon was an early adopter starting in 2024.  The initiative is designed to test and refine models of care that incorporate pharmacist prescribing.

🎯 The objectives are to 

·                     Test new prescribing models in real-world settings.

·                     Support patients with easier access to prescribed treatments directly from their community pharmacy.

·                     Reduce pressure on GPs and other primary care services.

·                     Gather insights to inform future commissioning of services.

🧩 Key Features in Devon

·                     the majority of the Devon pathfinder sites (9 in total)  are managing minor ailments while one site is focusing on deprescribing.

Included within the IP Pathfinder is structured learning and feedback loops, where pharmacists share experiences, challenges, and best practices.

📚 Learning and Experience Sharing

·                     Regular peer learning sessions and case study reviews are held.

• Pharmacists contribute to a national learning network, helping shape the future of independent prescribing.
• Insights from Devon are helping to refine training, governance, and service models for wider rollout.

🛠️ Future Impact

From September 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will be independent prescribers at registration 

1. The Devon pathfinder is helping to lay the groundwork for potential new prescribing services by:

·                     Demonstrating the value of pharmacist-led prescribing.

• Building confidence and competence among pharmacists.
• Informing NHS England’s commissioning framework.

A reminder to get your nominations in for the Community Pharmacy Devon 2025 Awards ceremony! All nominations MUST be in by Saturday the 16th August 2025. You can complete the online form to submit your nominations here.

🌟 GOLD STAR AWARD OF THE YEAR

For information about each category, please click here.

A reminder that the aspiration payment is to be made on the 1st July.

Also, please remember to complete the two CPPE modules entitled:

• Consulting with people with mental health problems
• Sepsis

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: