| Weekly News Digest - 22nd May 2025 |
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Exciting Opportunity for Frimley Pharmacy Contractors! Frimley ICB have launched a local "Teach and Treat" programme to support community pharmacists in obtaining Independent Prescribing training placements. Four Community Pharmacy Hub sites in Maidenhead & Farnborough, supported by trained mentors, will offer direct patient care, supervision, and mentorship. Pharmacists planning to undertake their Independent Prescribing qualification are invited to express interest. Places are limited and subject to eligibility and availability. Deadline: Friday, 23rd May, submit your Expression of Interest here. |
Stay ahead of the 2025/26 PQS deadlines with the PQS Deadline Tracker—a useful tool for staying organised and on schedule. It will help you track important milestones, ensuring you meet deadlines without the stress.
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| There has been an update to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on antiviral treatment for COVID-19, which removes some of the cohorts of patients eligible for these treatments. See here for the full information regarding the changes. |
| Pharmacy owners should be aware that in 2025/26, the Pharmacy First caps will be updated monthly (as opposed to quarterly in 2024/25). Pharmacy owners can refer to the lists published monthly by NHSBSA to see their band placements and caps. For more information and FAQs click here. |
| As the circulation of influenza in the community has returned to baseline levels, the Department of Health and Social Care has published an alert to inform prescribers working in primary care and pharmacy teams that antiviral medicines should no longer be prescribed. Community pharmacists should no longer supply antiviral medicines for the prophylaxis and treatment of influenza on a FP10 prescription form. Click here. |
| Pharmacy owners can request posters to inform patients who require multiple prescription items about the cost-saving benefits of prepayment certificates. See additional resources here. |
| Pharmacy owners are reminded of changes to Pharmacy First bundling requirements, which affect eligibility for the monthly fixed payment. From 1st June, pharmacies must be registered and capable of delivering the Hypertension Case Finding Service, Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS), and Pharmacy First service, alongside the required minimum number of clinical pathway consultations. Visit CPE website for more information on how to sign up for the Hypertension Case Finding Service or PCS. |
| Freddie Van Mierlo MP for Henley and Thame visited Bensons Pharmacy in Oxfordshire on Monday, 19th May, where he met with Vikash Patel, the pharmacy's owner, along with David Dean, Chief Officer, and Kevin Barnes, from Community Pharmacy Thames Valley. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing the pharmacy sector and to highlight the essential services Bensons Pharmacy provides to the local community and the vital role of pharmacies in healthcare. |
| NHS Frimley have provided essential information for urgent dental appointments and how to access an NHS dentist. Click here. |
| Commissioned by NHS England and supported by the Greener NHS programme, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's digital toolkit helps pharmacy teams reduce the environmental impact of pharmaceutical care while supporting patients. It provides easy-to-use prompts for sustainable practices, tackling medicine waste and improving efficiency. Register for the webinar on 29 May 2025 to learn more. |
Stay on top of your schedule with ease using our Monthly Deadline Tracker. This May edition is designed to keep you organized and help you meet your deadlines effortlessly.
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| The launch of the Community Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Programme 2025 is designed to support Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technicians (PTPTs) as they complete their 24-month apprenticeship within a community pharmacy setting. This initiative provides a funding contribution of £15,053 per trainee, per year for two years. Applications for funding are open until Sunday 15 June 2025 via an online expression of interest form. See here for more information. |
| CPPE have released their latest courses for July to September, with new courses including Depression: having meaningful conversations, Blood pressure monitoring in community pharmacy- essential skills and much more. See here for full list of workshops. |
| Community pharmacy contractors in the South East are invited to join two online Q&A drop-in sessions to explore opportunities for growing the pharmacy technician workforce and employing apprentices, building on the success of the CPTAP in 2024/25. Sessions will be held on 22nd May (1–2pm) and 27th May (7–8pm) See here for details and joining links. |
| The LPC subscribes to the Virtual Outcomes training platform, granting our pharmacies access to an array of online training resources. To get started, simply enter your ODS Code using the link below. |
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