Community Pharmacy Devon Weekly Dose 💊

Thursday 28th August 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.

September Deadline Tracker

Please see the September deadline tracker here.

Community Pharmacy Devon Conference 2025

All of our plans for the Community Pharmacy Devon Resilience in Action Conference being held on the 14th September 2025 are being finalised and we have a full agenda packed with opportunities for learning, discussions, celebrations and networking with colleagues. We are really looking forward to seeing you there. Remember this event is open for Devon pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and all other members of the pharmacy teams.

Don't miss out, please take a few minutes to look at our amazing conference brochure (designed and produced by Sascha in the Secretariat team!), find out more about the speakers and what to expect and book your place now.

Opportunity for Pharmacies in Plymouth: Plymouth Argyle Check Your Blood Pressure Event

To celebrate Know Your Numbers week (8-14th September), Public Health Devon have organised a Check Your BP event on Saturday 6th September 10am-2.30pm at Plymouth Argyle Football Club.

Plymouth City Council Public Health team will be on hand to chat to match-goers and the public, and publicise the week’s events, and we need support from Community Pharmacies in Plymouth to carry out blood pressure checks! It is a great opportunity to build your pharmacy’s profile locally and carry out many BP checks in one day.

Fliers, posters and a press release are ready to advertise the event, but we need local pharmacies to confirm their involvement by Wednesday 28th August, before they go out.

If your pharmacy would like to be involved, please express your interest at Hypertension Outreach for Community Pharmacists - One Devon and we will be in touch.

Community Pharmacy England Poll: 2026/27 CPCF Negotiating Priorities

Community Pharmacy England is gathering views to inform negotiating priorities for the 2026/27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF).

A new opinion poll is asking pharmacy owners about how they think funding should be allocated, what regulatory changes might help their pharmacies, and which services might be beneficial to introduce. Contractors can also share the key messages they want to give to Government and identify which issues are causing the most pressure for them right now.

This feedback is particularly important as Community Pharmacy England prepares to enter the next round of negotiations for the sector.

Findings from the survey will be discussed by the Community Pharmacy England Committee at their September meeting and used in communications with Government and the NHS. They will also contribute to ongoing efforts to push for further improvements and support for community pharmacies.

Community Pharmacy Devon hopes that as many local pharmacy owners as possible can spare a little time to submit their views to feed into the national negotiator’s work.

The survey, open until 11.59pm on Monday 8th September, can be completed here

Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) Clinical Audit (Patient Safety Domain)

Do NOT start until 1st September

NHS England has published the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) Antimicrobial stewardship Pharmacy First consultations Clinical Audit.

The audit is about the clinical advice and consultations provided to patients scoring FeverPAIN 0-3 on the Pharmacy First Sore Throat clinical pathway. Although the audit has been published, pharmacies should not start the audit until 1st September 2025 at the earliest.

The audit must be carried out with a minimum of 10 patients over four weeks. Continue for an eight-week period IF 10 patients are not achieved in the first 4 weeks.

Pharmacies should make a record of the start and end date of the audit as you will be required to enter this information into the MYS portal when you make your declaration. The audit should be started no later than 3rd February 2026 to allow for the maximum required eight-week data collection period.

Download the Audit data collection sheet here:

https://cpsc.org.uk/download_file/view/5285/3576

Download the Target Respiratory Tract Infection leaflet here:

https://cpsc.org.uk/download_file/view/5286/3576

Pharmacy and Genomics-Informed Medicines Optimisation

Please find links below to register for two webinars on pharmacy and genomics-informed medicines optimisation from the NHSE Pharmacy Workforce Group for Genomics. Presenters will include members of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and NHSE National Genomics Education programme. These webinars are open to all pharmacy professionals providing NHS services; please register using an NHS email address.

The first webinar will be held on Tuesday 9th September, 12:15-13:00 and will provide an introductory overview for all pharmacy professionals on the area of genomics-informed medicines optimisation. Speakers will cover key areas including:

1. What is genomics?

2. What are the national priorities for genomics-informed medicines optimisation?

3. How does genomics affect medicines? (Pharmacogenomics, precision medicines and antimicrobial resistance)

4. Education opportunities for pharmacy professionals and introduction to the next webinar.

This session will be recorded and it is advised that it is watched as an introduction before the second interactive webinar session in October.

Registration link is here: Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

The second webinar will be held on Wednesday 15th October, at 18:00-19.30 - providing an opportunity to discuss specific cases in breakout rooms. This session will build on the previous webinar and its introduction to areas in genomics-informed medicines optimisation. After a short recap of the previous webinar, participants will have the opportunity to join a breakout room covering a specific topic from one of these areas where they can discuss how genomic testing may influence future practice and consider enablers and barriers to advance their own professional practice and delivery of services to patients.