| Weekly News Digest - 17th September 2026 |
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| DHSC and NHS England have today confirmed the five new prescribing clinical pathways that will be added to Pharmacy First this autumn. The pathways cover: acute otitis externa for adults, seasonal allergic rhinitis for children aged 4–11, mild to moderate acne for young people, low‑frequency episodic migraine for adults aged 18–64, and mild skin and soft tissue infections and scabies. These pathways will expand access to timely care and further strengthen the clinical offer within Pharmacy First ahead of the autumn rollout. Read the full article. |
NHS England has issued updated clarification on the prescribing position for oral semaglutide products. With rising public and media attention on “weight‑loss pills”, pharmacies may see increased enquiries or requests for these medicines from primary care and Tier 3 weight‑management patients. This update sets out what prescribers and pharmacy teams need to know to ensure safe, appropriate NHS supply.
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| NHS England is hosting a webinar to provide an overview of available prescribing IT solutions and to support pharmacies in preparing for future prescribing services. Thursday 1 October 2026 6:30pm – 7:30pm, meeting link We would encourage all contractors who are planning for, or considering, prescribing activity within their pharmacy to attend. |
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Community pharmacies must now record all NHS flu and COVID‑19 vaccinations in the Record a Vaccination Service (RAVS) from this autumn, this includes flu vaccinations for pregnant women in September. Pharmacies already using RAVS need to add their flu and COVID‑19 batches in the vaccines section before recording. Those without an account can sign up via the Record a vaccination website. NHS vaccinations must not be recorded in CPIT PoC systems, as payments will only be made for vaccinations entered in RAVS.
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| NIHR has released additional funding for Pharmacy and Radiography early‑career research, with the South‑Central Launchpad Programme now open via the Academy of Research and Improvement. Teams can access a free 2‑day online Getting Started in Research course, join online drop‑in sessions for advice, and prepare for the final internship phase offering up to £10,000 for individual or team research projects. Full details, timelines and links are available on the CPTV website. |
| The CPTV LPC Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday 23 September, 12.00–12.30pm. All contractors are invited to attend, meet Chair Ian Dunphy, and engage with LPC committee members. The meeting will receive the 2025/26 Annual Report and Accounts, with contractors asked to vote on acceptance of the accounts - voting forms have been emailed to all contractors. The documents are available on the LPC website: CPTV Annual Report 2025–26. To join the AGM, please use the meeting link and confirm attendance by emailing office@cptv.org.uk no later than 6pm on Friday 18 September. |
Stay on top of your schedule with ease using our Monthly Deadline Tracker. This September edition is designed to keep you organized and help you meet your deadline effortlessly.
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Recruitment for the Thames Valley Mirror Board is open until 5pm on Friday 18 September 2026. The programme gives colleagues across health and care the chance to contribute to strategic discussions, bring fresh perspectives and build confidence in Board‑level decision‑making. Open to colleagues in NHS, local authorities, primary care, social care. Details and the Expression of Interest form are on the Thames Valley ICB website - see here for more information.
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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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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.
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Refresh your New Medicine Service skills in just 60 minutes. This fast‑paced, friendly webinar walks you through the full NMS journey — from identifying and recruiting patients to delivering structured, meaningful consultations across a wide range of clinical conditions. Simply join us on Wednesday, 23rd September, 7.30pm via the link.
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SAVE THE DATE! Respiratory Clinical assessment skills full day face to face workshop - 8th November, 10-5pm - CIM Business Centre, Cookham, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 9QHA new Clinical Respiratory Skills workshop is coming soon! This workshop is designed to help pharmacy professionals build confidence in history taking, examination skills and person centred consultations. Led by an experienced GP and supported by two CPPE Tutors, the session uses realistic clinical scenarios and a medical role play actor so participants can fully focus on consultation structure, language and clinical decision making. This practical workshop covers respiratory anatomy, common presentations, red flag recognition, systematic examination and person centred assessment. Booking details will be released shortly! |
| CPE will be hosting a webinar to support pharmacy owners, in understanding the current regulatory framework and how the system operates for pharmacy market entry and exit on Wednesday 23rd September 2026 at 7:30pm - 9:00pm. Register here. Bookings will close at 12pm on the day of the webinar. |
New CPPE courses for autumn 2026 are now live: In‑person workshops – respiratory tract infections in Reading, Basingstoke, High Wycombe and Fareham. Online workshops – dermatology, depression, PGDs, emergency contraception, weight management, reflective practice and more. • Extended training and Enhanced Practice Pathway see here for more information.
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