| Weekly News Digest - 22nd October 2026 |
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BOOK NOW! Respiratory Clinical assessment skills full day face-to-face workshop - 8th November, 10-5pm CPTV in collaboration with CPPE will be running a fully funded interactive workshop designed to equip pharmacy professionals with the essential clinical history-taking and respiratory examination skills needed to assess patients presenting with respiratory symptoms. Led by experienced GPs, this practical workshop combines expert teaching with realistic clinical scenarios to help you apply your learning confidently in practice. See here for full details. Spaces are limited - reserve yours now! |
The final draft of the NHS Community Pharmacy Prescribing Specification is now available on the NHSBSA website. It supports prescribing within the Pharmacy First and Pharmacy Contraception services. Contractors will be contacted by their ICB when registration opens, and supporting onboarding resources are available online, with further guidance to follow. For full details, visit the NHSBSA website. |
FOR OXFORDSHIRE PHARMACIES ONLY: Pharmacy DAPL Procurement Portal Update: Oxfordshire County Council has adopted the Atamis Portal as its preferred e-tendering system, replacing the previous SE Business (Proactis) portal. Procurement activity for the new Pharmacy DAPL contract will be managed through Atamis, with the contract expected to go live on the portal in mid-November. Pharmacies are encouraged to register on the system as soon as possible if they have not already done so. Further information and registration details are available on our website. |
| The monthly NMS consultation cap has been revised from 1.0% to 0.9% of monthly prescriptions. This change is unlikely to affect most pharmacy owners, but please review the updated caps to understand the maximum number of NMS consultations that can be claimed each month. View the full table and details here. |
Accessing Patient Data - Don't let curiosity kill your career
Following recent incidents of inappropriate access to patient records across the NHS, this campaign reminds staff of the serious impact on patients and the legal and professional consequences. It aims to ensure all staff handle patient information appropriately and make safe decisions when accessing records.
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Getting the Best Out of NMS
Thank you to all those who supported our recent CPTV Academy Webinar, Getting the Best Out of NMS. The webinar is available to view here along with presentation slides on our resources page on the CPTV website. |
Fraud Awareness: Pharmacist Jailed in £1.3m NHS Prescription Fraud
Thames Valley ICB would like to highlight a recent case involving a pharmacist who was jailed for a £1.3 million NHS prescription fraud. The investigation uncovered the dispensing of high-cost medicines that would not normally be prescribed in primary care, based on prescriptions that were found to be unsupported and had not been issued by the named GPs. This case serves as an important reminder of the need for vigilance in identifying and reporting suspected fraud, read the full article here. If you have concerns about potential fraud, or would like further information or advice, please contact Victoria Dutton at vdutton@tiaa.co.uk or Victoria.dutton@tiaa.co.uk. |
Mandatory National Health Campaigns 2026/27Community pharmacy contractors must deliver two national health campaigns this year. Respect for Pharmacy Teams running 5–25 October 2026, see here for resources. Pharmacy First Promotion running 1–21 February 2027, communications materials are available on the DHSC Campaign Resource Centre .
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| The Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey 2026 is now open and must be completed by all community pharmacy contractors. Submit your workforce data by 11.59pm on 14 November 2026. For support, contact NHSBSA at pharmacysupport@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. Visit the NHS England website for further information. |
Changes to the Pharmaceutical Regulations – Closures for learning and developmentTraining & Development Closures – From 1 October 2026, pharmacies can close for up to four hours each month during core opening hours for staff training and development without making up the time (subject to meeting specific conditions). Pharmacies in South East England must notify the ICB in advance if they wish to use this provision. See here for full eligibility criteria and notification details. |
NHS Thames Valley ICB Webinar – Find out more about becoming prescribing-enabled
Learn about the 2026 CPCF requirements, local assurance processes, workforce and IT considerations, governance standards, key timescales, and available support. Whether you are planning your transition or just exploring the changes, we would encourage you to attend. Book your place here.
📅 Tuesday 4 November 2026
🕖 7:00pm to 8:00pm
💻 Online
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PrescQIPP are running two FREE multi-professional courses delivering practical, evidence-based training to develop confident and capable educational and prescribing supervisors. See the course flyer and complete the Expressions of Interest form if you would like to enrol yourself or individuals from your organisation onto the courses.
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| Join CGL for an overview of Bucks Youth Drug and Alcohol Support Service (YDAS) on Friday, 30th October from 3-4.30pm. Learn about the support offered, referral pathways, and how to work in partnership to support young people and families across Buckinghamshire. Register here. |
Webinar: How price concessions work?
Watch a recorded webinar from CPE on price concessions and medicines supply challenges. The session explains how the price concessions system works and CPE's role in securing concessions. See here to access the recording. |
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