Services Database Supply of Palliative Care Medicines through Community Pharmacy (Manchester Area)

The service requires a pharmacist to stock and supply an agreed list of specialist medicines for use in palliative care and in addition to ensure there is prompt access and availability to these medicines at all times the pharmacy is open.
This service is available through two ways:
In hours

The purpose of this service is for community pharmacies to stock and supply an agreed list of specialist medicines for use in palliative care during usual opening hours to allow for an increase in patient care in the community.

Out of hours

The service requires pharmacists to supply a medicine on the approved palliative care medicines list only via a prescription when no pharmacy in the locality is open. The pharmacist shall make the supply when contacted by the out of hour’s provider.

The definition of out of hours is:

• Monday to Saturday between the hours of 12pm (midnight) to 6.30am;
• Saturday 12pm (midnight) to 10am Sunday; and
• Sunday 12pm (midnight) to 6.30am Monday.

The pharmacist would be contacted by the GP out of hours (OOH) service provider and agree to attend the pharmacy to dispense a prescription.

No specialist training or accreditation is required over and above the normal requirements for a pharmacist providing dispensing services. However the pharmacist should be familiar with the local guidance provided by the Commissioner for ‘Palliative Care’ drugs. The community pharmacist may wish to complete the CPPE open learning pack to support this service entitled ‘Palliative care’.