Thursday 22nd October 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.

• Winter Inhaler Use Review Scheme - supporting patients with respiratory conditions through targeted inhaler reviews.
• Extended Rota Provision Scheme - supporting additional community pharmacy access during the winter period.

• Winter Inhaler Use Review Scheme, please complete the EOI form by 8 November 2026.
• Extended Rota Provision Scheme, please complete the EOI form by 5 November 2026.

As Pharmacy First expands and independent prescribing becomes increasingly integrated into community pharmacy, Pareto Education has launched Beyond the PGD, a FREE weekly CPD webinar series designed specifically for community pharmacists.

These practical, case-based sessions explore the principles of safe patient assessment and management, including differential diagnosis, recognising red flags, treatment decisions, prescribing and appropriate escalation.

Every Thursday at 7pm | Online via Microsoft Teams. Today's webinar is on “recognising the unwell patient” which is an integral skill during assessment. All attendees receive a CPD certificate and presentation slides for future reference. Pharmacists can register here.

View upcoming sessions here.

Information and resources such as the Professional Assurance Framework and the final draft Prescription Management Guidance, that support NHS community pharmacy prescribing are now available on the NHSBSA website.

The new Part VIF of the Drug Tariff has been published to include details of payments linked to prescribing.  

Further documents to specifically support prescribing in clinical services will be published on the NHSBSA website in due course. Communication will come via Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).

As part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2026/27, community pharmacy contractors must promote two national health campaigns. The first campaign, which is currently running from 5 October-25 October 2026, focuses on encouraging the public to treat pharmacy teams with respect, so they can undertake their professional practice safely.

Contractors should ensure they are promoting the campaign by using the material available – including displaying posters or leaflets in the pharmacy, posting information online or in patient messages. Contractors can use existing communications materials developed by NHS England or Community Pharmacy England.

The first national pathway and decision-making tool for the care of patients presenting with headache symptoms is now available online supporting GP teams and pharmacy colleagues to offer good headache management and care.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has worked with a large multidisciplinary group to develop the interactive standardised pathway, which is co-badged by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Pharmacy. 

The simple format guides GPs, pharmacists and pharmacy counter staff through assessment, management and treatment options (where appropriate), based on national standards and best evidence. The GIRFT national online headache pathway can be accessed via the GIRFT website. 

Archie Unger of Pinhoe Pharmacy, Exeter, has shared his experience with us:

"I have recently started working with our local National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) team to explore how our pharmacy can become involved in clinical research.

My motivation is quite simple. Community pharmacies see large numbers of patients every day, many of whom could potentially participate in research. We already have established relationships with these patients, so why shouldn’t we make better use of this opportunity to contribute to the evidence base for better treatments and improved patient outcomes?

Research is relatively new territory for many community pharmacies, including ours, so we are starting from scratch. The local NIHR team have been extremely supportive and came into the pharmacy to introduce our staff to the basics of research: who funds it, why it matters, the different types of studies and how community pharmacies can become involved.

Research can be funded commercially, for example by pharmaceutical companies, or through public funding, including government-funded NIHR programmes, as well as charities and universities.

My thinking is that with some fairly straightforward introductory training, pharmacies could become research-ready without a huge commitment of time or resources. This could open opportunities to participate in funded research, generating additional income for the pharmacy while contributing to better healthcare.

We don’t need to start with complicated clinical trials. Something as simple as displaying research information leaflets or signposting interested patients to suitable studies could be a first step. As our confidence and experience develop, we could progress to more active involvement in recruiting patients and delivering research.

It’s early days for us, but I’ve been encouraged by the enthusiasm and practical support of the local NIHR team.

I believe community pharmacy has enormous untapped potential in research. We have the patients, the relationships and the accessibility. With the right support, we could make a valuable contribution to research while developing another worthwhile activity for our businesses."

Archie Unger, Pinhoe Pharmacy, Exeter.

Feeling inspired by Archie's story? Applications are now open for community-based healthcare organisations, including community pharmacies, to apply for funding of between £2,000 to £100,000 to support staff time delivering research, from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). This is part of the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) Wider Care Settings Funding Programme 2027/28. The funding is primarily for those pharmacies that may already be involved in research and supporting research studies in the NIHR portfolio as well as those pharmacies that want to start to get involved in research. Applications are straightforward and online and close on 17 November 2026. Find out more here.

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!

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