| Weekly News Digest - 4th September 2025 |
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Join us at the Holiday Inn, Peartree Roundabout, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 8JD for an engaging evening workshop on Thursday, 25th September, from 7-9pm. The upcoming training session is designed to boost your confidence and enhance your delivery of the EHC service.
Through interactive case scenarios, you will:
✅ Reinforce your clinical knowledge
✅ Sharpen your consultation techniques
✅ Align your practice with the latest national guidance
✅ Equip you with practical tools through real-life case scenarios
A great opportunity where pharmacy professionals can connect in a relaxed setting, share valuable experiences, and build lasting networks in a supportive, supportive learning environment.
👉 Spaces are limited, secure your place today: Registration link |
- Pharmacy First: Revised clinical pathways and PGDs to launch on 1 October 2025, with IT updates overnight on 30 September.
Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS): Expands on 29 October 2025 to include oral emergency contraception and pharmacy technician delivery. Owners opting out of EHC must de-register by 29 September 2025 to retain PQS and Aspiration payments. PCS and Hypertension Case-Finding participation required for Pharmacy First payments. New Medicine Service (NMS): From 29 October 2025, depression added as an eligible condition. Updated drug list excludes discontinued/specialist-only meds and includes newer treatments.
Final confirmation pending IT readiness. Details available via Primary Care Bulletin, NHSBSA website, and direct emails. Click here. |
| As part of BOB ICB’s ongoing ‘Reducing Medicines Waste’ campaign, BBC South TV will be airing interviews on Monday 1st September with Chief Medical Officer Ben Riley and Berkshire pharmacist Olivier Picard. The segment will spotlight the impact of medicines waste on local pharmacies and the NHS, with Olivier sharing real-world experiences and Ben highlighting the importance of public awareness. Olivier also featured in an interview on BBC Sounds and Greatest Hits Radio (Bucks, Beds & Herts) also urged the public to help reduce waste across the local area. Visit the Stay Well BOB website to learn more and watch the campaign video. |
| The fee for 2025/26 Adult Flu Vaccination service will remain at £9.58, unchanged for the seventh consecutive season. Despite CPE submitting an evidence-based case for an increase, Ministers imposed the existing fee due to NHS England’s constrained vaccination budget. This outcome is disappointing, especially given the significant rise in operational costs faced by pharmacy owners over recent years. |
| Young people who are eligible for the Prescription Prepayment Certificate must be: aged between 18 and 24, up to their 25th birthday a care leaver from a Local Authority in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, or Berkshire West registered with a GP not already eligible for free prescriptions through national exemptions. This includes those who are working, in higher education and unaccompanied asylum seekers. Visit website for more information. |
| As part of the 2025/26 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF), pharmacy owners must deliver two national and two local health campaigns. The first national campaign, launching later in 2025, will promote Pharmacy First in collaboration with NHS England and DHSC, supported by a national advertising push, to the public. All pharmacies are expected to take part using approved materials. Read more. |
| Community pharmacists are invited to complete a 5-minute questionnaire on ‘readiness’ to introduce sore throat point-of-care tests, should this be commissioned in the future as part of a sore throat service. A post-graduate student at the University of Reading has developed a short questionnaire, participation is voluntary and all responses are anonymous. A summary of the findings will be shared with NHS England. Complete the questionnaire, by Sunday 7th September. |
| Download the latest edition of Healtwatch Oxfordshire Newsletter. |
LPC AGM - Wednesday, 10th SeptemberAll contactors are invited to join us online for the Community Pharmacy Thames Valley AGM on Wednesday, 10th September at 12.00pm. This an opportunity to meet your Chair, Ian Dunphy, and to ask questions from the LPC members. The meeting will receive the Annual Report for 2024/25 and the accounts for the same period. Contractors will be asked to vote to accept the accounts. The Annual Report and Accounts can be viewed on our website for those short on time, we have also compiled a convenient podcast summary.
AGM Meeting link. |
| A new opinion poll is asking how you think funding should be allocated, what regulatory changes might help your pharmacy, and which services to consider introducing. The survey will close on Monday 8th September. Read more here |
| 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. |
| Community Pharmacy Thames Valley Academy are holding a workshop on Thursday, 9th October, 7-9pm at Holiday Inn, Reading South. The aim of the workshop is to enhance your practice and confidence in delivering the EHC service. Join us to refresh your clinical knowledge, sharpen your consultation skills, and stay up to date with the latest guidance in England. Through real-life case scenarios and safeguarding tips, you’ll gain practical tools to support patients effectively, expand your professional impact, and contribute to improving access to vital sexual health services. Register your place here. |
| We are very pleased to invite you to our very first Women’s Health Training Event, hosted by the LPC on 2nd November at the Holiday Inn, High Wycombe. This session will bring together expert voices from CPPE, Bucks Sexual Health, and other leading organisations to deliver bite-sized, impactful talks on key topics including HRT, Menopause, Skin Care, UTIs, PCOS, and Emergency Hormonal Contraception. The session will run from 10am to 2pm, the event includes coffee and light refreshments, making it the perfect blend of learning and networking. Spaces are limited—secure your spot today via the registration link and be part of shaping the future of women’s health in community pharmacy. |
MSATS – Safe use of medicines in palliative and end of life careSPS have an online interactive session in the Medication Safety Across the System (MSATS) series on 24 September 2025, 12:30–14:00. Designed for healthcare professionals across all sectors, this event explores the complexities of medicine use in palliative and end of life care. Highlights include expert-led discussions on prescribing challenges, safety practices, and strategies for improvement. Speakers include Melinda Presland and Joanne Clarke, with more to be announced. See here for registration details. |
NHS Frimley ICB training has resumed with five sessions scheduled between September 2025 and March 2026, available to book. See here for more information and booking details.
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