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The Pharmacy Collect team is now in position to supply additional stocks of lateral flow device (LFD) test kits to pharmacies that are still experiencing higher demand, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) said in an update. The team has informed the negotiator that LFD orders in some locations have reduced allowing them to work with Alliance Healthcare to facilitate extra deliveries. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which is continuing to deliver LFD stocks to Alliance Healthcare for onward delivery to pharmacies, distributed over 14.5 million tests to the company last week. Community pharmacy contractors can seek up to three additional cartons of test kits by emailing the Pharmacy Collect team. This will be in addition to one carton daily order that contractors are allowed to get through Alliance Healthcare.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced that free COVID-19 lateral flow tests will be supplied through community pharmacies for at-risk groups. The service will operate from 6 November for patients aged over 12 years who are at risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms. Community pharmacies that have participated in this new initiative will be paid £4 plus VAT for each box of five lateral flow device test kits provided. Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS services at Community Pharmacy England said: "This is not going to be a high-volume service, but community pharmacy teams are well placed to provide LFD test kits to eligible patients with them having made over 25.5 million supplies of COVID-19 LFD test kits in 2021/22.

As an unprecedented demand for Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test kits continues through the Pharmacy Collect service, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is planning to distribute 10.5 million tests per week via Alliance Healthcare this month. By the end of this week (January 8), the UKHSA aims to distribute more than 8 million tests to Alliance Healthcare - sole distributor to pharmacies. The announcement comes after many in the pharmacy sector voiced concerns over shortage of test kits. Earlier this week, it emerged that Alliance Healthcare closed for four days shortly after receiving around 2.5 million tests on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, the UKHSA indicated that Alliance Healthcare has been delivering 86 per cent of its orders within 24 hours of the pharmacy order, nearly half of that on the same day. Besides, a plan to switch on a Parcel Force delivery contingency is being finalised by UKHSA, which would enable supply of a further 3.5 million test kits.

A news report suggests the Department of Health and Social Care is aiming to be ready to start charging for Covid-19 tests which are currently free at the end of June. Britain has been increasingly dependent on rapid testing to try to tackle the more-transmissible Omicron variant, which has spread rapidly through the population but is less severe. The government has previously said it will end the universal free provision of easy-to-use lateral flow devices (LFDs) at a "later stage", with individuals and businesses bearing the cost. The Department of Health has declined to say what the tests cost, citing commercial contracts. One source has told the Reuters news agency they can run to £30 for a pack of seven. Free pick up from pharmacies The tests have been made freely available to order online or pick up from local pharmacies since April. The UK Health Security Agency said that between December 30 and January 5 more than 8 million LFDs were conducted, the highest weekly figure on record.

Community pharmacy contractors can now submit their December 2021 claims for the Pharmacy Collect service by the end of January 2022. Considering high demand for Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test kits, the UK Health Security Agency, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England and NHS Improvement have agreed to extend the submission deadline "on an exceptional basis." For December 2021 claims, contractors must make submissions before 11.59pm on January 31, 2022, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has informed.