Pharmacy First Minor Ailments (previously CPCS)
Pharmacy First replaced the Community Pharmacy Consultation Service (CPCS) on 31st January 2024. It builds upon the success of CPCS which started with NHS111 Referrals in 2019 and was then extended to include GP referrals into pharmacies in November 2020.
Treatment options available to the pharmacist were limited to Over the Counter (OTC) medicines in the CPCS scheme, whereas the new Pharmacy First service contains new provisions allowing pharmacists to supply certain Prescription Only Medicines (POMs) to manage a number of very specific conditions.
Good communications and local team working are central to delivering such multi-disciplinary services, so the LPC has prepared some resources to support and facilitate local service delivery:
Working better Together a Teamworking Guide
The nationally determined core service specification & documentation for pharmacies and surgeries can be viewed CPCS – GP referral pathway – Community Pharmacy England (cpe.org.uk)