HLP Frequently Asked Questions
Published on: 4th November 2020 | Updated on: 22nd August 2023
This page contains frequently asked questions regarding pharmacies achieving and maintaining Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP) status.
Q. My pharmacy does not have a consultation room; how do I achieve HLP status?
In the new Terms of Service, all pharmacy owners are required to fit a consultation room into their pharmacies (if they do not currently have one) by 1st January 2021, with the exception of where a pharmacy is a Distance Selling Pharmacy (DSP) or is assessed by NHS England as being too small to have a consultation room on the premises. In these cases, the contractor must ensure that there are arrangements in place at their premises which enable a person performing pharmaceutical services to communicate confidentially with a person accessing pharmaceutical services:
- by telephone or another live audio link; and
- via a live video link.
Where a pharmacy has not provided any Advanced services at or from the premises during 2020, they will be exempt from the requirement to have a consultation room on the premises until 1st April 2023 after which they will also be required to have one in place.
Q. How often (if at all) will the leadership and RSPH training need to be repeated?
There is no requirement to repeat training in the HLP requirements; as long as a contractor has staff in post that have undertaken the relevant training, that will meet the requirements.
Q. The HLP requirements has a criterion which states that the pharmacy team actively works in collaboration with other community organisations to deliver pharmacy outreach and/or services. Can this be done in the pharmacy, as part of a regular health promotion event or do the pharmacy staff have to undertake an event/service away from the pharmacy premises?
The outreach work needs to be carried out off the pharmacy premises, so while it would be good to have collaborative working on the premises, collaborative working off-premises would satisfy that requirement. HLPs have previously done that via attendance at local roadshows for the public, stands in shopping centres, visits to schools and care homes to take part in health promotion work. This could also be achieved using remote presentations.
Q. What constitutes a full-time equivalent (FTE) member of staff?
FTE is the hours worked by one employee on a full-time basis. The GOV.UK website states there is no specific number of hours that makes someone full or part-time, but a full-time worker will usually work 35 hours or more a week.
Q. Is attendance at face-to-face RSPH training a requirement to qualify for HLP Health Champion training?
The requirements to qualify for HLP Health Champion training will depend on the training provider that the pharmacy owner has chosen to use and how their course has been designed to meet the RSPH Level 2 Award in Understanding Health Improvement (the course that needs to be completed for someone to become a Health Champion). Therefore, depending on the course provider, face-to-face training may be required as part of their course.
For more information on this topic please email services.team@cpe.org.uk
