Contract changes: Pharmacy First bundling FAQs
On Monday 31st March 2025, the details of the contractual settlement for 2025/26 were announced, which included changes to the requirements to be entitled to the Pharmacy First monthly payment (bundling requirements).
This news story addresses key Pharmacy First bundling requirement questions that have been raised since the announcement of the settlement.
Q. Do Distance Selling Premises (DSP) pharmacies need to be registered and able to deliver the Hypertension Case-Finding Service from 1st June 2025?
No. DSPs are exempt from the requirement of being registered and able to deliver the Hypertension Case-Finding Service. However, they will be required to be registered and able to deliver the Pharmacy Contraception Service, as well as Pharmacy First, and meet the minimum number of Clinical pathways consultations to be entitled to the monthly payment from 1st June 2025. This means the deadline for registering for the two services on the MYS portal is 11.59pm on 31st May 2025.
Q. Can a pharmacy choose to just provide Pharmacy First and not the Pharmacy Contraception Service and/or Hypertension Case-Finding Service?
Yes. The pharmacy can choose to just provide Pharmacy First and they will still be paid for the consultations they provide. However, they will not be entitled to the monthly payment even if they meet the minimum number of Clinical pathways consultations in a month.
Q. Will a pharmacy be automatically de-registered from Pharmacy First if they have not signed up to the Pharmacy Contraception Service and Hypertension Case-Finding Service* by 1st June 2025?
No. Pharmacies will not be automatically de-registered from Pharmacy First. As stated above, pharmacy owners can choose to just provide this service.
Q. If I’m not ready to provide all three services* by 1st June 2025, can I register for the services at a later date; will I then be eligible for the monthly payment?
Yes, you can register at a later date if you are not ready to register for the three services* by 11.59pm on 31st May 2025 and provide the services from 1st June 2025. If, for example, you are ready to provide the three services* by the middle of June 2025, if you then register on the MYS portal to provide all three* services by 11.59pm on 30th June 2025, you will be entitled to the July monthly payment if you also meet the minimum number of Clinical pathway consultations in July.
Q. If I have already registered my pharmacy for the three services* and have been delivering the services for a while, do I need to sign up again on the MYS portal to meet the bundling requirement?
No. If you are already registered for the three services* then you do not need to sign up again on the MYS portal to meet the bundling requirement.
Q. I am already registered on MYS for Pharmacy First and the Hypertension Case-Finding Service.* I have just registered on MYS for the Pharmacy Contraception Service; do I need to register again for Pharmacy First and the Hypertension Service* to show that I am now registered for all three services?*
No. If you are already registered for Pharmacy First and the Hypertension Case-Finding Service* you do not need to register again for these services.
Q. Will the bundling requirements for Pharmacy First change again in the future?
Yes, there will be further changes later in 2025/26:
- From October 2025, this requirement will increase to require pharmacy owners to deliver one ABPM consultation per month (this requirement does not apply to Distance Selling Premises (DSP) pharmacies); and
- From March 2026, this requirement will increase to pharmacy owners having to provide a specified number (on which Community Pharmacy England will be consulted) of Pharmacy Contraception Service consultations (including oral Emergency Contraception consultations), in addition to meeting the above requirements.
*Distance Selling Premises (DSP) pharmacies are exempt from the requirement of being registered and able to provide the Hypertension Case-Finding Service.
