Community Pharmacy England (CPE) - News updates

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published details of its ongoing work and plans to improve the management of medicines supply issues. This includes a commitment to consulting on the introduction of pharmacist flexibilities to supply alternatives when a medicine is in short supply. The new policy paper, Managing a robust and [...] The post DHSC outlines work to improve medicines supply appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

NHS England has today published the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) Antimicrobial stewardship – Pharmacy First consultations – Clinical Audit. Completion of the audit, as well as sharing anonymised data with NHS England and incorporating any learnings from the audit into future practice by the end of 31st March 2026, is a quality criterion in the [...] The post PQS: Publication of clinical audit appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

The Government is advising community pharmacy owners to take action to prepare for the upcoming national switch-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), which is due to be fully decommissioned by January 2027. In a letter to the sector, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Health and Social Care has outlined [...] The post Pharmacies to prepare for national digital phoneline switchover appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has seen an increase in the number of prescriptions from patients using the “HRT only prescription prepayment certificate” prescription charge exemption category for products that are not covered by the HRT Prescription Prepayment Certificate (HRT PPC). In the 12 months between June 2024 and May 2025, the NHSBSA received over 200k [...] The post Medicines not covered by the HRT PPC appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

The National Patient Prescription Tracking Service (NPPTS) enables patients to access and track their prescriptions online through the NHS App or their NHS account (by logging in on the NHS website). NPPTS is a feature of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) that utilises a combination of Spine and Pharmacy IT supplier systems’ information to provide item and [...] The post Rollout of prescription status info in the NHS App continues appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

We want to hear community pharmacy owners’ opinions on the future direction of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) to help shape negotiating priorities for 2026/27. Ahead of CPCF 2026/27 negotiations, our summer survey aims to gather views on potential funding allocations, service priorities and regulatory asks. The questions have been informed by discussions at [...] The post Future CPCF: What’s most important to you? appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

Opinions from pharmacy owners and LPCs across the country are being compiled, alongside inputs from national pharmacy organisations and results from ongoing sector polling, to inform Community Pharmacy England Committee discussions on negotiating priorities for 2026/27. The Committee will consider all inputs, alongside Community Pharmacy England’s own analysis, to inform positioning and objectives for the [...] The post Sector workshop findings to inform Committee discussions appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

Following representations made by Community Pharmacy England on behalf of community pharmacy owners, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has redetermined the following July 2025 concessionary prices: Drug Pack size Previous price concession  for July 2025 New price concession for July 2025 Fexofenadine 180mg tablets 30 £2.31 £4.10 Pioglitazone 45mg tablets 28 £25.25 [...] The post Improved price concessions for July 2025 appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

NHS England previously announced the launch of a new community pharmacy Point of Care (PoC) IT Supplier Contractual Framework, which will allow pharmacy owners to choose which PoC system they use to make their clinical records for the Flu and COVID-19 vaccination services during the Autumn/Winter 2025/26 campaign. IT suppliers listed on the new framework will be assured by NHS [...] The post Getting ready for the Flu Vaccination Service: Have you chosen your IT system yet? appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

MHRA Class 4 Medicines Defect Notification: Topiramate Zydus Pharmaceuticals UK 20mg/ml Oral Solution, Zydus Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd Drug alert number: EL(25)A/39 Date issued: 07 August 2025 Zydus Pharmaceuticals UK LTD has informed the MHRA that there is an error on the artwork for the outer carton and Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) of Topiramate Zydus Pharmaceuticals UK [...] The post Class 4 Medicines Defect Notification: Topiramate Zydus Pharmaceuticals UK 20mg/ml Oral Solution, Zydus Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.