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ECG has launched a new 'simple and straightforward' Patient Group Direction (PGD) service for pharmacists working in primary care, together with a service which offers direct access to an NHS Consultant for medical advice to offer robust safeguarding as and when needed. Taking on more clinical services with the PGDs can feel daunting and a big responsibility for healthcare professionals. ECG's new medical advice service (for anyone purchasing their PGDs) will offer pharmacists the opportunity to call and speak to a clinical member of the ECG team who will triage the calls and support them. If required, the call will be connected to an experienced NHS Consultant to offer immediate medical advice. The service will start with a Monday-Friday 08:30-16:30hrs provision with an option to increase to 24 /7 for those working out of hours. This is inclusive in the PGD pricing offer. ECG has been the market leader in providing vaccination training to pharmacists since 2004, providing robust knowledge and clinical skills to enable pharmacists to develop their private and NHS commissioned vaccination services (such as flu and covid). By developing their close working relationship with all of the multiples, many smaller chains, membership groups and independents over the years, ECG has continued to further consolidate their 'one stop shop' approach to supporting the sector. ECG wants to offer this sector choices in the level of guidance and support that the individual healthcare professionals feel they need to offer safe care to patients.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have issued the patient group direction (PGD) and national protocol for community pharmacy contractors to support flu vaccination of the frontline primary care staff. This follows the announcement pertaining to eligibility of frontline primary care staff for NHS flu vaccinations this season. With the release of protocol, vaccination of these staff can now be commenced as part of the service. Contractors have to keep a manual record of the number of primary care staff they vaccinate in the service and report the same each month on the NHS Business Services Authority's Manage Your Service (MYS) platform.

The Department of Health and Social Care aims to amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, thereby enabling pharmacy technicians to provide and administer specific medicines through a patient group direction. In line with this initiative, the Department introduced a six-week consultation to assess whether registered pharmacy technicians should be authorised to dispense medicines using a PGD. The proposals, backed by all four Home Nations, apply exclusively to registered pharmacy technicians. Meanwhile, this coverage will extend to include pharmacy technicians in Northern Ireland upon their achievement of registered professional status. "The proposed statutory instrument, presently applicable in England, Scotland, and Wales would offer 'clear benefits,' especially in areas such as vaccination and the provision of oral contraception and EHC," the DHSC said. According to the Department, facilitating registered pharmacy technicians to execute PGDs might amplify their workload, yet it could simultaneously enhance overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness for pharmacy teams by optimising the utilisation of skill diversity.

New amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations will soon allow registered pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines under Patient Group Directions (PGDs). Laid before Parliament at the end of May, the legislative changes will come into effect from June 26, 2024, the Community Pharmacy England (CPE) announced today. The introduction of this new legislation follows an announcement made by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) earlier this year. The regulatory adjustments provide the legal framework for pharmacy technicians to engage in the supply and administration of medicines under PGDs in the course of their professional practice. However, there will be no immediate change in the provision of community pharmacy services, the CPE noted

The Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) will be expanded to enable urgent and emergency care settings to refer patients to a community pharmacist for a consultation for minor illness or urgent medicine supply from Monday (15 May), the DHSC and NHSE said. The service builds on the progress made in GP referrals via the CPCS and hospital referrals under the Discharge Medicine Service. It was originally planned to launch in March, and fee for this service will be the existing CPCS fee of £14, as per the agreement for both year 4 and year 5 of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) 2019 to 2024 5-year deal. In an update on the CPCF, published today (12 May), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE) has also committed to the 4 October 2023 launch date for the Tier 2 of the Pharmacy Contraception Service, subject to a positive evaluation of the pilot. The Tier 1 of the service was launched on 24 April, delayed by over three months. This new service enables community pharmacists to provide ongoing management, via a patient group direction (PGD), of routine oral contraception that was initiated in general practice or by a sexual health clinic. The fees for this service are as follows: a fee for each consultation of £18; and a set-up fee of £900, paid in instalments. The Tier 2 will "enable community pharmacists to also initiate oral contraception, via a PGD, and provide ongoing clinical checks and annual reviews," Alette Addison, deputy director for pharmacy, dental and optical at the DHSC and Ali Sparke, director for dentistry, community pharmacy and optometry at the NHSE, said in a letter.

This Pharmacy First Common Ailments service will help patients seek treatment for seven common conditions directly from a pharmacy without the need for a GP appointment or prescription. Launching on 31 January next year although it is subject to IT being ready, the service will cover ailments including "sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs)" in women. People with symptoms of the above seven conditions will be supplied with a prescription-only treatment under a Patient Group Direction (PGD). Patients seeking assistance at the pharmacy, whether walk-in or referred by NHS 111, GPs, or other sources, can receive consultations. The new service includes self-referring patients plus referrals, and the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) will also be a part of it.

As the pharmacy profession continues to evolve, the role of Accredited Checking Technicians (ACTs) is becoming increasingly vital. Anne Ausden, the Deputy Manager of Jephsons Pharmacy, embodies this shift. With over 18 months in her current role, Anne oversees the pharmacy's daily operations, optimises medication use, and ensures high-quality patient care. Her work extends beyond the dispensary, offering blood tests, blood pressure monitoring, flu vaccines, and health education sessions. Anne, a 2023 Pharmacy Business Awards winner, shares her insights on the expanding role of ACTs with Pharmacy Business reporter Rudra Mulmule, particularly in light of recent legislative changes that allow pharmacy technicians to now administer medicines under a Patient Group Direction (PGD) and with the introduction of the Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT) programme.

The Community Pharmacy Walk-In Consultation Service (WICS), offering treatment for various minor ailments, recorded 19,567 consultations in 2024. This marks a 61 per cent increase compared to the 12,138 consultations recorded in 2023, according to data released by Community Pharmacy Cornwall (CPC) and obtained by The Pharmaceutical Journal. Launched in community pharmacies across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in January 2021, the minor ailment scheme is commissioned by the NHS and CPC. It enables locally accredited community pharmacists to supply prescription-only-medicines (POMs) for the treatment of several common conditions utilising patient group directions (PGDs) that Pharmacy First does not currently cover. These include vaginal candidiasis (vaginal thrush), dermatitis, migraine, conjunctivitis, and emergency hormonal contraception. Since its launch, the service has facilitated over 38,000 consultations, with 80 per cent of them resulting in advice or treatment that concluded the consultation in the pharmacy. WICS data also indicates that the service has helped avoid an estimated 30,000 GP appointments and more than 500 inappropriate A&E visits since its inception.