The Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (Minor Illness and Urgent Repeat Medicines Supply pathways) has replaced the Urgent Medicine Supply advanced service pilot.
The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) is a national Advanced Service to refer patients requiring low acuity advice, treatment and urgent repeat prescriptions to community pharmacies.
The service aims to reduce pressure on the primary and urgent care system, particularly Accident and Emergency and GP out of hours. The service will support the integration of community pharmacy into the urgent care system.
Information on the CPCS and it’s fees can be found in the Drug Tariff.
Further information and the full service specification is available on the CPCS page of NHS England and NHS Improvement website. Revised documents to reference the GP referral pathway are available in the 'Supporting documents' section of this page.
The CPCS will stop on 30 January 2024 and become part of the new Pharmacy First Advance Service on 31 January 2024. From 1 December 2023, contractors will not be able to deliver the CPCS.
From 1 December 2023 all contractors already delivering CPCS and contractors that wish to register must declare that they agree to the terms and scope of the three elements of the Pharmacy First Service (NHS Referrals for Minor Illness, Urgent Medicine Supply and the Clinical Pathway Consultations) on MYS.
This must be done by 23:59 on 30 January 2024 to register for the Pharmacy First Service and to secure the Pharmacy First initial fixed payment of £2,000. This payment will be paid on 1 February 2024 if declared by 23:59 on 31 December 2023 or on 1 March 2024 if declared by the 23:59 on 30 January 2024.
Contractors that declare that they wish to stop provision of the CPCS will be de-registered 30 days after the declaration. If this happens less than 30 days before 31 January 2024 the notice period will reflect the number of days remaining before 31 January 2024. Contractors that do not make any declaration will be de-registered from CPCS on 31 January 2024 and will be notified of this.