We are delighted to hear the recent joint consultation led by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department of Health Northern Ireland (DHNI), has been approved. This will enable pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines using Patient Group Directions (PGDs) once the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 have been amended.

This Circular advises Health Boards and community pharmacy contractors of updated Patient Group Directions (PGDs) that are to be implemented for the treatment of shingles and skin infections under NHS Pharmacy First Scotland.

There are currently review dates on some of the NHS PGDs in your NHS Boards. Please note that review dates are not expiry dates on the PGD; they are a note of the time window from which the review will take place.

As part of our work with the Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Programme to move to paperless prescriptions, we urgently need your help!

We work closely with our colleagues at NHS24 to do everything we can to support the use of the unscheduled care PGD, so that the vast majority of patients have uninterrupted access to their medication.

Circular PCA(P)(2021)07 advises that Patient Group Directions (PGDs) supporting two further common clinical conditions will be added to the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service.