| Weekly News Digest - 16th October 2025 |
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Calling all pharmacy professionals! Join us for our very first Women’s Health Training Event, hosted by the LPC on 2nd November at the Holiday Inn, High Wycombe. Hear from experts on:
💊 Contraception and EHC
🧠 Migraine and Menopause (Pfizer)
🔥 Menopause Care in Pharmacy (Exeltis)
🦠 UTI and Pharmacy First
🍽️ Light lunch included!
Secure your spot today via the registration link and be part of shaping the future of women’s health in community pharmacy. View the agenda for the day.
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| NHS England confirmed messages were sent to under 75s booked via NBS for C-19 vacs to highlight the changes to eligibility and that their eligibility will be checked by pharmacy teams. For more information regarding the updates on actions see here. CPE have been working with NHS England to improve communications and three posters have been created to support vaccine eligibility messaging, view resources. |
| Community Pharmacy England has formally requested financial compensation from the NHS, following the issues during the seasonal vaccination service, in particular, the influx of ineligible patients booking appointments via the National Booking System (NBS). Read the article in full here. |
| For the latest materials to support your local vaccination campaign visit the Frimley Health and Care website which now hosts updated assets for both the Winter Vaccination Campaign and the new Maternal Vaccination Campaign. Materials include: Digital screen assets reflecting updated eligibility cohorts, Website wording templates, FAQs on COVID-19 vaccine eligibility COVID-19 and flu fact sheets. There are also assets for the Maternal Campaign materials included. |
| Pharmacy owners can access monthly Prescription Item Reports (PIRs) via the NHSBSA Information Services Portal. These reports help, track payments by product, reconcile claims vs. payments, spot and resolve payment discrepancies and identify staff training needs to reduce dispensing and claiming errors. To access PIRs you will need to register, see here for more information. |
| Community Pharmacy England has a range of resources explaining the monthly price concession process. The attached Monthly concession cycle outlines how the price concession process works. Visit the Price Concessions hub for more information. |
| Download the latest edition of the BOB Medicines Optimisation Bulletin. |
| Sign up to the Primary Care Bulletin to receive essential news for community pharmacy and the wider primary care sector — including general practice, dentistry, and optometry. It’s a quick way to stay up to date with national guidance, service developments, and resources that support your work and your patients. Click here. |
Monthly Deadline TrackerStay on top of your schedule with ease using our Monthly Deadline Tracker. This October edition is designed to keep you organized and help you meet your deadline effortlessly. |
| From 29 October 2025, the PCS will expand to include oral emergency contraception (EC), and pharmacy technicians will be able to deliver the service. Updated PGDs and service specifications are already available in draft form on the NHSBSA website. See here for more information. |
| From 29 October 2025, the NMS will expand to include depression as a new eligible medication. Visit the NHSBSA website for updated drug list and service specification. Click here. |
| Pharmacy owners will receive emails from NHSBSA asking them to complete the mandatory online survey. The survey will closes on Friday 21st November 2025. |
| Stay informed with the Pharmacy Academy podcast channel, a great source for weekly updates on essential pharmacy topics, powered by insights from NHS, CPE, and PGD guidance and AI generated for clarity. Stay connected, enhance your expertise, and dive into key pharmacy discussions—all in one place. |
Tune in to this week's podcast |
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| Thank you to all the pharmacy contractors who joined us for the Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC) evening event on 9th October. It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout and to connect with so many of you in person. For those who would like to revisit the session or catch up on what was shared, the presentation slide deck is now available on our website. Thank you again for your continued support and commitment to delivering vital services in our communities. |
| The West London and Home Counties Women’s Health Business Unit is pleased to invite you to an insightful evening webinar focused on Treatment Options & Patient Reviews in Menopause Care on Tuesday, 4th November 2025 at 7pm. This session is tailored for pharmacists with an interest in women’s health, particularly those involved in prescribing or conducting HRT reviews. To register, please email Lisa Chard at: chardl@gedeonrichter.com. |
NHS England and the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) have announced the launch of the Pharmacy technician development programme. The programme will be delivered between October 2025 and March 2026 and will focus on supporting pharmacy technicians, understanding recent changes to supervision legislation and effective use of PGDs. Apply by 31st October 2025. See here for more information.
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| Join the NHS England South East Pharmacy Technician Team and kick start the Pharmacy Technician Day celebrations on Tuesday, 21st October from 8.00-8.45am recognising the excellent contributions pharmacy technicians make across our region. The day will start with positivity, recognition, and connection in this uplifting virtual event that honours the vital role pharmacy technicians play in delivering safe, effective care throughout the NHS. See here for further details and register for the event here. |
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