Community Pharmacy Devon Weekly Dose 💊

Thursday 20th August 2026

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.

Local Mandated Health Campaign - Keep Antibiotics Working

The mandated health campaign launched on the 3rd August. You should have received a campaign pack in relation to this on the 27th July including reporting requirements via email from the South West Commissioning Hub.

Pharmacy contractors are to actively engage with patients throughout the campaign by displaying promotional materials, sharing key antibiotic messages, and using every opportunity to support public understanding of when antibiotics are and are not needed. Access the campaign materials here.

This is a mandatory campaign.

Independent Prescribing Services in Community Pharmacy

NHS England has published guidance on assuring CPCF clinical services and commissioning NHS prescribing services in community pharmacies. A professional assurance framework sets out best practice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians delivering NHS-commissioned clinical services, while separate guidance supports ICBs commissioning prescribing services from community pharmacies in England. For more information, click here.

We would strongly recommend that you read through the documentation and familiarise yourself with the assurance framework. In the meantime, working with Community Pharmacy Devon (CPD), the ICB will be starting to develop its implementation plans to ensure they can effectively support the onboarding of pharmacies intending to provide these services from October 2026.

To help understand the level of interest, and to support planning, please complete the Microsoft Form. The form will be closing on the 24th August 2026; it should only take a few minutes to complete and CPD will be collating the information. If you would like any further information about the form please contact Sue Taylor on 01392 719604.

📢 Upcoming GPhC Webinar: New Revalidation Resources

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is hosting an informative webinar to introduce new revalidation resources and provide updates on future developments within the revalidation framework.

📅 Event Details

Date: Tuesday, 15 September
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Online
Attendance: Open to all

What Will Be Covered?

During this one-hour webinar, the GPhC team will discuss:

✅ New revalidation resources available to pharmacy professionals

✅ Revalidation requirements for pharmacist independent prescribers

✅ Future developments and planned improvements to the revalidation framework

Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from the team leading this work.

Why Attend?

This webinar is an excellent opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of current revalidation expectations, learn about newly available support resources, and stay informed about upcoming changes that may affect your professional practice.

👉 Register now to secure your place.

PGDs: Empowering Pharmacy Technicians to Provide Services (Online)

This will be a practical, interactive workshop designed specifically to help pharmacy technicians who are now authorised to use Patient Group Directions (PGDs) to step confidently into their expanding role.

11 November 2026 from 7pm – 9pm.

Use this link to book your place on this workshop

Pharmacy Education Conference – Registration Now Live

NHS England South West School of Pharmacy, in partnership with Pharmacy Workforce Development South (PWDS), is delighted to invite pharmacy professionals from across the region to the South West Pharmacy Education Conference 2026, taking place on Wednesday 2 September 2026 (9:00am–5:00pm) at the University of Bath.

Open to colleagues from all sectors of pharmacy, this exciting event will bring together professionals, educators, and workforce leaders to connect, share best practice and explore the future of pharmacy education, training and workforce development.

The day will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, interactive workshops and networking opportunities, covering topics such as internationally educated learners, inclusive training, clinical academic careers, AI in education, workforce development and post-registration career pathways.

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration closes at 5:00pm on Monday 10 August 2026. Further details, including the full programme and speaker line-up, will be shared with registered delegates nearer the event.

Positive News Stories

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!

COMMUNITY PHARMACY DEVON SECRETARIAT TEAM

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