Working with GPs

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 034/22: Briefing for general practice teams – changes to the NHS community pharmacy contract in 2022/23
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing provides information for general practice teams on the changes to the community pharmacy contract in 2022/23, including the revised Pharmacy Quality Scheme.

Community Pharmacy England has launched a set of materials – including a video animation and infographic – explaining how GP practices can electronically refer into the Pharmacy First service.

The digital explainers have been developed to help increase understanding of the Pharmacy First service amongst GPs and practice teams. They are intended to offer an introduction to the service, explaining the logistics behind it and addressing any potential concerns.

These materials sit on a new Pharmacy First: Information for GPs webpage.

• Community Pharmacy England Advanced Services PowerPoint presentation for GPs and hospital colleagues (December 2022)
• Community Pharmacy England Advanced Services PowerPoint presentation for GPs and hospital colleagues (December 2022) (PDF)
• Community Pharmacy England Briefing 038/22: NHS Community Pharmacy Advanced Services – information for general practice teams (December 2022)

For information on referring patients to their GP practice, following provision of Advanced Services click on the following links:

• Appliance Use Reviews
• Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS)
• Flu Vaccination Service
• Hypertension Case-Finding Service
• New Medicine Service (NMS)
• Pharmacy Contraception Service
• Pharmacy First Service
• Smoking Cessation Service (SCS)
• Stoma Appliance Customisation

Contractors should talk to their local GP practices about the CPCF requirement for pharmacies to highlight the benefits of repeat dispensing/eRD to appropriate patients.

NHS England published Electronic Repeat Dispensing – Guidance in June 2015. This document clearly describes how eRD works and is aimed at commissioners and GP practice teams. Contractors may want to use the document in discussions with local GP practices about repeat dispensing/eRD.

The joint Community Pharmacy England/NHS Employers/BMA GP Committee guidance for GP practices on repeat dispensing may also be helpful to use in discussions.

NHS Digital has also developed a series of materials to boost the usage of eRD which contractors could highlight to GP practice teams:

• eRD webinars: A recorded eRD webinar;
• eRD learning module for pharmacy teams and GP practice staff; and
• eRD toolkit – This toolkit is suitable for pharmacy teams as well as GP practice staff. The toolkit includes a dispenser quick guide, full dispenser guide, presentation and patient text.

Clinical codes for GP practices

GP practices can use the following clinical codes to record patient consent for information sharing for the repeat dispensing/eRD service:

Patient consent given for repeat dispensing information transfer:

• CTV3 code: XaKRX
• V2 code: 9Nd3.
• SNOMED CT code: 416224003

Working with GPs on EPS R2 issues

Community Pharmacy England webpage – Joint working with GPs

Community Pharmacy England webpage – The GP contract

NHS England webpage – The GP contract

Community Pharmacy England Briefing 008/19: A five-year framework for GP contract reform to implement the NHS Long Term Plan (February 2019)
At the end of January 2019, NHS England published a five-year framework for GP services agreed with the British Medical Association (BMA) General Practitioners Committee (GPC) in England and supported by Government. It implements commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan for changes to the GP contract and sets the direction for primary care for the next five years.

This Community Pharmacy England Briefing sets out a summary of the key aspects of the framework, which are of most relevance to community pharmacy teams and Local Pharmaceutical Committees.