Services: Summary of changes from 1st October 2025
From Wednesday 1st October 2025, several national services commence as well as the implementation of some of the service changes agreed in the 2025/26 CPCF settlement.
Below is a summary of all of these service developments and additionally, several regulatory changes also come into effect from 1st October 2025.
Read more about the regulatory changes
Commencement of services
From 1st October 2025, pharmacies registered to provide the services, can start to provide the Childhood Flu Vaccination Service and COVID-19 Vaccination Service.
Vaccination of all eligible groups for the 2025/26 Adult Flu Vaccination Service can also start (only pregnant women have been able to get vaccinated since 1st September 2025).
NHS England has also updated their Seasonal Vaccinations Site Campaign Guide. Changes from the previous version are highlighted in yellow and the updates include revised National Booking Service (NBS) and Manage Your Appointment (MYA) slides for ease of reading. (slides 20-21), an additional summary (slide 31), of onboarding steps for community pharmacies that have signed up for the childhood seasonal flu pharmacy service, and a link to the COVID-19 PGD and protocol (slide 5).
Read more about the Adult Flu Vaccination Service
Read more about the Childhood Flu Vaccination Service
Read more about the COVID-19 Vaccination Service
Updated clinical pathways, protocol and PGDs for Pharmacy First
As previously announced, 1st October 2025 is also the date for pharmacy owners to start using the updated Pharmacy First clinical pathways, protocol and Patient Group Directions (PGDs).
NHS England has confirmed that in their Primary Care Bulletin, after receiving confirmation that the necessary changes to the clinical IT systems will be made on schedule.
IT system suppliers are amending their existing systems to incorporate the updates to the service so that from 1st October 2025, the updated service can be provided in accordance with the updated service documentation.
NHS England has also now published on their website the final updated clinical pathways, protocol and PGDs, as well as an updated master PGD authorisation sheet, which pharmacists can choose to sign instead of having to sign each individual PGD.
The current service documents will remain in place until 11.59pm on Tuesday 30th September 2025, and are available on the NHSBSA website.
View the final updated Pharmacy First service documents (to be used from 1st October 2025)
Directed services can no longer be provided from DSP premises
From 1st October 2025, Distance Selling Premises (DSP) pharmacies will no longer be able to provide Directed services (Advanced, National Enhanced and Enhanced Services)* face-to-face with the patient at the pharmacy premises.
DSP pharmacies will only be able to provide Directed services remotely at the DSP premises, similar to the delivery of Essential services or if the service specification permits, face-to-face with the patient off-site.
Read more about the changes of provision of services at DSP premises
* DSP pharmacies can continue to provide COVID-19 and Flu vaccination services at the pharmacy premises, as part of an Advanced, National Enhanced, or Enhanced service, until 31st March 2026.
