Pharmacy First
Pharmacy First Explained
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.
The overall service consists of three core elements:
• Pharmacy First (clinical pathways) – new element
• Pharmacy First (urgent repeat medicine supply) – previously commissioned as the CPCS.
• Pharmacy First (NHS referrals for minor illness) – previously commissioned as the CPCS.
The Pharmacy First service contains new provisions allowing pharmacists to supply certain Prescription Only Medicines (POMs) to manage seven specific conditions.
The seven conditions are:
* Distance Selling Pharmacies do not complete consultations for Acute Otitis Media.
Good communications and local team working are central to delivering such multi-disciplinary services, so Community Pharmacy Leicestershire and Rutland has prepared resources to support and facilitate local service delivery: