About the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (NHS CPCS)
The new Pharmacy First service, launched 31 January 2024, adds to the existing consultation service and enables community pharmacies to complete episodes of care for 7 common conditions following defined clinical pathways. Further information on the service is available here.
This session introduces the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS), which launched in October 2019 taking referrals from NHS 111. Referrals from general practice for minor illness symptoms started in November 2020. This elearning will provide guidance to staff in NHS 111 and IUC services about the service, as well as benefits to patients and NHS when referred to the service.
The NHS CPCS was launched nationally to facilitate patients having a same day appointment with a community pharmacist for minor illness or an urgent supply of a regular medicine, improving access to services and providing more convenient treatment closer to patients’ homes.
Community pharmacists are part of the NHS family. The traditional role of the community pharmacist as the healthcare professional who dispenses prescriptions has changed. In recent years community pharmacists have been developing clinical services in addition to dispensing of medication which enables better integration and team working with the rest of the NHS. This supports the principle of ‘right healthcare professional, at the right time at the right place’.
Over 10,500 pharmacies are signed up to deliver the service and over 12,000 patients a week are being referred for a one-to-one consultation with a specially trained pharmacist following a call to NHS 111, or after contacting their GP. The pharmacist will assess the patient’s clinical needs and provide expert advice and care relating to their current problem. A remote consultation may be offered and agreed with the patient as appropriate to need, or escalated to their GP or other health service, if additional diagnosis or treatment needed.
9 out of 10 referred patients are successfully helped by the pharmacist without needing escalation on to another service.
Audiences
NHS 111 call handlers and Integrated Urgent Care Clinical Assessment Service (IUC CAS) staff.
More information
You can find further information about CPCS online on the NHS England and NHS Improvement website here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/pharmacy-integration-fund/community-pharmacist-consultation-service/
Testimonials
North East Ambulance Service
- “Really informative and 100% clear around what the CPCS can and cannot do… transparent around how to refer, why, and the benefits of utilising the service.”
- “I found it really useful, it gave me a greater respect for what the pharmacy do, and has helped me when offering it as a disposition.”
Acknowledgement
The Pharmacy Integration Programme (NHS England and NHS Improvement)
This content has been developed by the Pharmacy Integration Programme in NHS England and NHS Improvement. The programme was established in 2016 to accelerate the integration of both pharmacy professionals across health and care systems, and clinical pharmacy services into primary care networks. This builds on the NHS Five Year Forward View and NHS Long Term Plan. More information can be found here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/pharmacy-integration-fund/
Meet the team
- Andi Blackmore, Programme Manager
- CJ McKay, Project Manager
- Paul Tingle, Project Manager (current)
- Paul Kelly, Learning Designer
- Naomi Knight, Graphic Designer
- Annie Sayer, Community Pharmacy Integration Lead
How to Access
In order to access any elfh programme, you will need an elfh account. If you do not have one, then you can register by selecting the Register button below.
If you already have an account with elfh, then you can enrol on to the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service for Integrated Urgent Care programme by logging in to the elfh Hub, selecting My Account > Enrolment and selecting the programme. You can then access the programme immediately in the My e-Learning section.
NHS healthcare staff in England – ESR
The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service for Integrated Urgent Care programme is also available to NHS healthcare staff via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Accessing this e-learning via ESR means that your completions will transfer with you throughout your NHS career.
Further details are available here.
Not an NHS organisation?
If you are not an NHS health or care organisation and therefore do not qualify for free access elfh Hub, you may be able to access the service by creating an OpenAthens account.
To check whether or not you qualify for free access via OpenAthens, you can view the eligibility criteria and register on the ‘OpenAthens’ portal.