Pharmacy First – 2025/26 CPCF Settlement & Clinical Pathway Updates
We’ve brought together all the latest information about the Pharmacy First service so our LLR pharmacy teams can plan ahead with confidence.
Timeline of Changes
April 2025 – Consultation Fees
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Minor Illness & Clinical Pathway consultations increased from £15 → £17
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Urgent Supply consultations remain at £15
June 2025 – Draft Clinical Pathways & PGDs
NHS England, with input from clinical experts and community pharmacists, published draft updated clinical pathways and PGDs for Pharmacy First see PF Clinical Pathways v.2.5
Key points:
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Review the draft materials and ensure competence to deliver the updated service from 1 October.
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Some gateway points have moved and eight new gateway points have been added.
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Once implemented, the changes should increase the number of consultations eligible for a fee.
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Accurate record-keeping is essential, including legal documentation of medicines supplied under PGDs or via urgent supply.
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IT suppliers will update systems overnight on 30 September 2025; the new pathways go live 1 October 2025.
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Final documents and the updated service specification will be published on 1 October 2025.
To support LLR pharmacy teams, we’ve created a summary table of the pathway changes. Click HERE to access and download.
June 2025 – Monthly Payment Bands & Claiming
A volume-based monthly payment model was introduced:
| Consultations per month | Monthly Payment |
|---|---|
| 20–29 Clinical Pathway consultations | £500 |
| 30+ Clinical Pathway consultations | £1,000 |
Claims must be submitted within one month of the end of the month (e.g. June claims by 31 July).
June 2025 – Bundling Requirements (Phase 1)
To receive monthly Pharmacy First payments (subject to volume thresholds), contractors must be registered to provide:
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Hypertension Case-Finding Service (HCFS)
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Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS)
Deadline for registration on MYS: 31 May 2025.
October 2025 – Bundling & Pathway Implementation-This has now been delayed and therefore on pause
March 2026 – Bundling Requirements (Phase 3)
From March 2026, contractors must provide a minimum number of contraception consultations (including EHC). Thresholds will be agreed by CPE, DHSC and NHS England.
Banding & Monthly Caps
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Pharmacies are assigned to a band (e.g., Band 1, Band 2) which sets their consultation cap.
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If your ODS code isn’t listed, you’re automatically Band 1 (lowest cap).
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Caps may be updated monthly based on service volume.
Promotional Resources
Pharmacy First posters are available in several languages to help you promote the service locally:
Arabic • Central Kurdish • French • Gujarati • Pashto • Persian • Polish • Portuguese
Download posters from the Pharmacy First promotional resources folder
Actions for Contractors
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Read the draft pathways/PGDs and prepare for 1 October implementation.
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Use the LLR summary table to brief your teams.
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Check your band and cap on the NHSBSA list.
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Monitor monthly service volumes and submit claims promptly.
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Meet bundling requirements and display multilingual posters to encourage uptake.
- NEW ! PHARMACY FIRST- LLR ACHIEVING THRESHOLD GUIDANCE
Need support?
Contact the LLR Pharmacy Team if you have questions or need help with any of the above (email: admin@leics-lpc.co.uk)