PCS: Initiation of oral contraception can be started from today
From today (1st December 2023), the expansion of the Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS) comes into force. Pharmacists are now able to initiate oral contraception, as well as continue to provide ongoing management of oral contraception that was initiated in general practice or a sexual health clinic (or equivalent).
This comes alongside the changes to the Hypertension Case-Finding Service, which can now be provided by suitably trained and competent pharmacy staff (pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other non-registered members of the pharmacy team).
Pharmacies currently providing the service (Tier 1)
Those who are currently providing the service (previously referred to as Tier 1 – ongoing management of oral contraception) now have a period of time to transition to provide both elements of the service and will then need to declare that they agree to the terms and scope of the expanded service via the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) Manage Your Service (MYS) portal.
The deadline for this opt-in is 29th February 2024. Any pharmacies providing the Tier 1 service who do not opt-in by that date will be automatically deregistered from the service (and they will be informed of this by the NHSBSA).
In the meantime, pharmacy owners who are currently providing the Tier 1 service can still access the current service specification on the NHSBSA website; this should be used until they transition over to the expanded service.
Join us for a webinar
We will be holding a PCS webinar, with support from NHS England and the Centre for Postgraduate Education (CPPE), on Tuesday 5th December 2023, 7-8.30pm aimed at helping pharmacy teams who are already providing the service to expand their offering to include initiating contraception.
We will focus on the new elements of the service, looking at the requirements, training options and the resources available to support pharmacy owners and their teams.
Pharmacy Contraception Service: Initiating contraception Maximum number of attendees reached – a recording will be made available
Pharmacies new to the service
Pharmacy owners who had not signed up to provide the service by 30th November 2023, will need to provide the full, expanded service (i.e. initiation and repeat supplies) from the time they decide to register for the service.
The service page on our website has been updated to reflect the changes and updated resources have also been published for use by pharmacy owners and their teams.
Join us for a webinar
We will be holding a second PCS webinar on Wednesday 10th January 2024, 7-8.30pm aimed at helping pharmacy teams who have not yet started to provide the service to get ready to offer it to their patients.
During the webinar, we will review the service and its requirements, explore the learning and development requirements for pharmacists providing the service and the resources available to support its provision.
A pharmacist who has been involved in the pilot of the service will also be on hand to share their experiences and top tips.
