NHS Parent Organisation Code (POC)
Published on: 9th December 2021 | Updated on: 21st October 2025
Your NHS Parent Organisation Code (POC) is a unique identifier for your pharmacy’s parent organisation. Every pharmacy owner has a POC—even if your organisation only includes one pharmacy. If your organisation includes multiple pharmacies, each one should be linked to the same POC.
If there’s a change in ownership, you may need to request that a pharmacy is moved to the correct POC.
Every pharmacy has both an ODS code and a POC code Typically a four- or five-character code, often starting with ‘P’, and may include both letters and numbers Typically a four- or five-character code, often starting with ‘F’, and may include both letters and numbers The Organisation Data Service (ODS) code is another unique identifier used by the NHS to support national IT systems like the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). For pharmacies, the ODS code is The POCs allow all pharmacies within the same organisation to submit a single Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPTK) return. If your ODS or ownership code changes, your POC may also need to be updated. See the change of circumstance guide/checklist for more details. In some cases, you may need to request changes to the POC for specific pharmacies. Community Pharmacy England recommends that pharmacy owners planning changes—such as updates to their Organisation Data Service (ODS) code—work through the full change of circumstance guide/checklist. You should give your local NHS England team at least one month’s notice before the planned change date. The full transition period typically lasts at least one month. While relocation, closure, or sale of a pharmacy involves regulatory steps, this guidance focuses on minimising disruption to IT systems and the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). Pharmacy owners should follow the usual process: request corrections to POCs by contacting the designated POC query contact point. Visit the NHS Digital ODS Data Search and Export portal to check your POC entry and see which pharmacies are linked to it. You can also refer to our factsheet: Checking pharmacies linked to your POC code using the ODS portal. Q. I am changing IT supplier. Does this impact my use of my POC? Read more at:
Example uses
Format
POC
ODS code
No, but if you’re changing supplier, you should review the change of circumstance guide/checklist.
• ODS (NHS Digital)
For more information on this topic please email it@cpe.org.uk
