| Weekly News Digest - 1st May 2025 |
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| With Early May Bank Holiday (5 May 2025) occurring in the first five days of the FP34C submission window, pharmacy owners will have an extra day, until the end of 6 May 2025, to submit their April FP34Cs through the MYS portal. |
| The PQS 2025/26 scheme commenced on 1st April 2025. The Aspiration payment window opens on Thursday, and pharmacy owners have the opportunity to claim an Aspiration payment between 9am on 1st May 2025 and 11.59pm on 16th May 2025 through the MYS portal, with the payment scheduled for 1st July. As usual, late claims will not be accepted, making it essential for pharmacy owners to meet all deadlines in order to participate in PQS. See here for more information. |
| Pharmacy contractors are reminded to review the revised payment structure for the New Medicine Service (NMS) ahead of submitting claims for consultations carried out in April 2025. Effective from 1st April, the payment model has been simplified, with a fee of £14 per Intervention or Follow-up consultation—amounting to £28 when both consultations are completed for a patient. For full information see here. |
| As a pharmacy contractor in Thames Valley, your insights matter to us. Ahead of our May committee meeting, we invite you to share your questions or concerns. Let’s work together to address the issues that matter most to you. Please complete and return the form by 12pm on Friday, 9th May 2025. |
Frimley ICB is launching 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. |
| The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that the NHS prescription charge will be kept at £9.90 per prescription item for 2025/26. Click here. |
| CPE has released a new briefing to clarify margin delivery arrangements, making it easier to understand how funding changes impact community pharmacies. They have provided FAQs and additional details to explain the margin system, including the £193m margin write-off under the CPCF settlement for 2024/25 and 2025/26. |
| Mental Health Awareness Week highlights the importance of community in supporting mental wellbeing. The Mental Health Foundation have provided FREE resources on their website to help support this important campaign. |
| Download the latest edition of Healthwatch Bucks Newletter. |
| Read the latest edition of Healthwatch Oxfordshire briefing. |
| Catch up with the latest edition of the NHSBSA Hints and Tips quarterly newsletter. |
| View Community Pharmacy England’s funding and reimbursement shorts video on prescription switching created by their in-house Drugs Tariff and funding experts. Click here. |
| The EPS team seeks pharmacies to pilot a new prescription tracker from May to June, involving a 45-60 minute virtual session, potential site visits, and regular feedback. The pilot will run for approximately 6 to 8 weeks, pharmacies can express interest in participating by filling out this form. |
| The University of Manchester invites pharmacists to share insights for research on the Pharmacy First service, focusing on seven clinical pathways. Your input will help identify challenges and improve service delivery to better support pharmacists and patients. Responses are confidential and for research purposes only. Please review the Participant Information Sheet for important study details. |
The LPC subscribes to the Virtual Outcomes training platform, granting our pharmacies access to an array of online training resources. To get started, simply visit the Virtual Outcomes website and enter your ODS Code. |
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