Provisionally registered pharmacists can offer Pharmacy First service

Pharmacists in Scotland on the GPhC’s provisional register will be able to offer the NHS Pharmacy First service provided they pass a risk assessment, C+D has learned.

exclusive
PharmacyStaff_shutterstock_1118054174_620x413.jpg
Provisionally registered pharmacists will need to sign up to deliver the two PGD-led services

Employers must risk-assess provisionally registered pharmacists before they start working and need to consider whether they are trained to deliver the services that their pharmacy offers, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) said in a document published earlier this week (July 10).

“If the risk assessment deems it is within the provisional pharmacist’s competence, then they will be able to carry out Pharmacy First consults,” Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) director of operations Matt Barclay told C+D earlier this week (July 13).

Provisionally registered pharmacists will need to sign up to deliver the two patient group direction (PGD) led Pharmacy First services for patients with urinary tract infections or impetigo, Mr Barclay said.

They will also need “to declare themselves competent to do this, which may well be part of the risk assessment process,” he added.

“No barriers”

A Scottish government spokesperson told C+D earlier this week (July 13) that it can “see no barriers” to provisionally registered pharmacists providing this service once they have met all requirements set out by the GPhC for joining the register provisionally and undertaken the “appropriate training for the NHS Pharmacy First service”.

Speaking to C+D last week (July 9), CPS CEO Harry McQuillan said he did not believe it would be an issue for provisionally registered pharmacists to offer the new service.

“If you can check a prescription and hand out medication under your control, then surely you’re able to assess the patient as well, based on your competences,” he said.

The NHS Pharmacy First service will see pharmacists offer free advice, treatment or supply of medicines – supported by national PGDs – to patients presenting with urinary tract infections or impetigo.

Launching on July 29 after its planned April launch was postponed due to COVID-19, the service will provide pharmacies with a base payment of £1,250 a month from October.

Sign in or register for free

Latest from News

All the headlines: Community pharmacy funding deal

 
• By 
 • comment

Find out everything you need to know about the government’s plans for community pharmacy – as outlined in this week’s long-awaited pharmacy funding deal.

Pharmacy stop-smoking service expands to ‘non-registered’ staff

 
• By 
 • comment

The new pharmacy contract has expanded who can deliver the smoking cessation service, as well as adding the provision of two drugs via PGDs.

Revealed: 2024/25 contract cash uplift already paid

 
• By 
 • comment

Following this week’s announcement of the long-awaited pharmacy funding deal, C+D has learned that contractors have already received the additional £106 million in retrospective funding for 2024/25.

More from Regulation

Pharmacist warned after drugs flogged via ‘unregistered brokers’

 
• By 
 • comment

The pharmacy regulator has issued a warning to a pharmacist who “engaged in unsolicited services from an unknown broker” for “financial gain”.

exclusive

New weight loss regs: Almost 50 concerns already raised with GPhC

 
• By 
 • comment

In the first month of its updated guidance, the pharmacy regulator has already referred three individuals for fitness-to-practise (FtP) investigations for concerns around weight management drugs, C+D has learned.