Updated PCS service spec and PGDs published ahead of changes later in the year

In the recent CPCF funding settlement, it was agreed that changes would be made to the Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS) to include drospirenone within the list of contraceptives which can be supplied and to add oral emergency contraception (EC) to the service.

These changes to the service necessitate updates to the service specification, the existing patient group directions (PGD) and new PGDs to cover the two EC products (levonorgestrel and ulipristal).

We have been working with NHS England and DHSC over the last few weeks on these documents and draft versions of them have now been published on the NHSBSA website.

Download the DRAFT documents from the NHSBSA website

These draft documents have been published to provide advance notice of the changes to the service for pharmacy owners and their teams, and additionally to support IT system suppliers in developing the necessary changes to their systems.

The commencement date for the revised service will be announced by NHS England in due course; this is provisionally scheduled for October 2025, but that is dependent on the necessary changes being made to IT systems.

Prior to the commencement date for the revised service, the final versions of the service specification and PGDs will be published on the NHS England website. From the commencement date, the updated documentation on the NHS England website must be used by all pharmacy owners providing the service, not the draft documents which have now been published.

For now, the service has not changed, and pharmacy owners and their teams must continue to provide the service in line with the current documentation published on the NHS England website.