Weekly eNewsletter 14th March 2024

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Written By Robbie Collins

The Community Pharmacy Scotland eNewsletter for Thursday 14th March 2024 has now been released.

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Latest eNewsletter
PCA(P)(2025)03 - Serious Shortage Protocol For Estradot® Patches
PCA(P)(2025)03 - Serious Shortage Protocol For Estradot® Patches

This Circular advises community pharmacy contractors that the Serious Shortage Protocol for Estradot® (Estradiol) 50 micrograms / 24 hours transdermal patch (SSP079), a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) product, due to expire on 21 March 2025 has been extended until Friday 4 April 2025.

Women’s Health Resources
Women’s Health Resources

NHS Inform offers Women’s Health pages with advice and support. Resources for promoting these pages and raising awareness about endometriosis are available from the SG Campaign Resource Centre. Community pharmacies in Scotland provide support for women’s health issues through Pharmacy First.

Prescription Collection Courier Service: 3rd April 2025
Prescription Collection Courier Service: 3rd April 2025

Your next courier collection is scheduled for Thursday, April 3rd, 2025. We have produced the following guidelines for your prescription bag submissions.

Updated information on Teach & Treat Hubs
Updated information on Teach & Treat Hubs

Community pharmacists who completed the CPS/NES Independent Prescribing Training can attend a Teach & Treat (T&T) session after qualifying and completing four Clinical Skills days. These sessions, led by experienced prescribers, offer valuable support. New hubs are now open in Saracen Pharmacy and Garscadden. For details, check your TURAS account.

NES Foundation Training – Opportunity to Support Development of the National Assessment  
NES Foundation Training – Opportunity to Support Development of the National Assessment  

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is seeking volunteers to help develop the Pharmacy Foundation Training assessment for 2025. Subject matter experts are needed for 45-minute interviews via phone or Microsoft Teams to create scenarios for Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs). Interested individuals should contact Jo at Work Psychology Group to schedule an interview. No financial compensation is provided.

Patient Registration Service - Maintenance Downtime
Patient Registration Service - Maintenance Downtime

Our colleagues at NSS have let us know that there is planned downtime of the patient registration service from 6pm on Friday April 4th to 8am on Monday the 7th of April.

Medicines Care and Review (MCR) Ready Reckoner: 24th March 2025
Medicines Care and Review (MCR) Ready Reckoner: 24th March 2025

This week’s MCR Ready Reckoner has been updated and is now available to download or you can view it via the App.

Spring COVID-19 Vaccination Programme 2025
Spring COVID-19 Vaccination Programme 2025

The Chief Medical Officer along with the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer and the Interim Chief Nursing Officer has writing to provide members with important details regarding the 2025 Spring COVID-19 vaccination programme, which will run from 31st March to 30th June 2025.

Top Three Items Currently Under Review By The CPS Board
Top Three Items Currently Under Review By The CPS Board

The CPS Board is currently discussing and reviewing the following top three items. While these are still "works in progress" and specific details are not yet available, further information will be provided as it becomes available.

Independent Prescribers Meeting - Thursday 27th March 2025
Independent Prescribers Meeting - Thursday 27th March 2025

We are pleased to confirm that the next Independent Prescribers meeting will take place on Thursday 27th March 2025.

Calling Community Pharmacy Independent Prescriber Trainees on Jan 25 and Mar 25 CPS/NES Funded Courses
Calling Community Pharmacy Independent Prescriber Trainees on Jan 25 and Mar 25 CPS/NES Funded Courses

You will have received a form in February, directly from CPS, asking you to send details for your organisation's finance lead and inviting you to join the CPS WhatsApp Groups. If you have not completed and returned the form, you need to do so asap.

Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Pathways – Key Questions Series
Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Pathways – Key Questions Series

As part of the policy team’s involvement on the Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Pathways programme we are looking for your input on some key questions to help inform how the system is built.

Specialist Pharmacy Service Resource
Specialist Pharmacy Service Resource

The Specialist Pharmacy Services (SPS) website represents a valuable resource to Pharmacy teams and is well worth taking a look at for those not already aware of it.

Concerns Grow After A Sudden Increase In Overdoses In Scotland
Concerns Grow After A Sudden Increase In Overdoses In Scotland

Recent reports have highlighted an increase in sudden collapse after injecting or smoking heroin. This appears linked to a rapid onset into overdose and multiple repeat doses of naloxone being required to reverse overdose.

GPhC Virtual Listening Event: Wednesday 9th April 2025
GPhC Virtual Listening Event: Wednesday 9th April 2025

Our colleagues at the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) will be hosting a virtual event to engage with pharmacy professionals on the key issues shaping the future of pharmacy.

Sponsorship Opportunities At The CPS Charity Golf Day
Sponsorship Opportunities At The CPS Charity Golf Day

Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) is delighted to host its 11th Annual Charity Golf Day at the stunning Mar Hall Golf and Spa Resort. To help raise essential funds for this remarkable charity, we have expanded our sponsorship opportunities, allowing more businesses to contribute and gain valuable exposure.

Pharmacy In Practice Conference
Pharmacy In Practice Conference

Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) attended the annual Pharmacy in Practice Conference on the 12th March 2025 in Edinburgh. The day consisted of a breadth of panel discussion sessions focusing on innovation in, and the future of pharmacy practice.

Prescription Collection Courier Service: 20th March 2025
Prescription Collection Courier Service: 20th March 2025

Your next courier collection is scheduled for Thursday, March 20th, 2025. We have produced the following guidelines for your prescription bag submissions.

NEW ‘Be the Early Bird’ Campaign
NEW ‘Be the Early Bird’ Campaign

The Detect Cancer Earlier campaign ‘Be the Early Bird’ is LIVE throughout March 2025 but with a difference! A new Early Bird, ‘Bonnie’, has been introduced to raise awareness of lesser known head and neck cancer symptoms. We are delighted to share NEW campaign material and would welcome your support in helping us spread this important #BeTheEarlyBird message once again.

Endometriosis Awareness Month
Endometriosis Awareness Month

Endometriosis Awareness Month is taking place throughout March and is dedicated to raising awareness about endometriosis, a chronic and painful condition affecting many women across the UK. This month provides an opportunity to increase public understanding of the condition and encourage those who are suffering to seek medical advice from their GP practice.

Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme Changes
Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme Changes

From 1st April 2025, it will be a legal requirement for individuals to be a member of the PVG Scheme when carrying out a regulated role with children, protected adults, or both.

Vitamin D3 Supplement Product Recall
Vitamin D3 Supplement Product Recall

There have been some clinical incidents as a result of higher than expected levels of Vit D3 being in the product.

Support Student Pharmacist Experiential Learning in 2025-26
Support Student Pharmacist Experiential Learning in 2025-26

Pharmacies across Scotland have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the future pharmacy workforce by supporting student pharmacist experiential learning (EL) in the 2025-26 academic year.

PCA(P)(2025)02 - Serious Shortage Protocol for Estradot Patches
PCA(P)(2025)02 - Serious Shortage Protocol for Estradot Patches

This Circular advises community pharmacy contractors that the Serious Shortage Protocol for Estradot® (Estradiol) 50 micrograms / 24 hours transdermal patch, a hormone replacement therapy product has been extended.

National Insurance Contributions For Community Pharmacy - House of Lords Vote
National Insurance Contributions For Community Pharmacy - House of Lords Vote

We are pleased to see that the House of Lords recently held a debate which used community pharmacy as a central talking point, eventually voting overwhelmingly in favour of granting an exemption to this rise in business costs.

NHS Pharmacy First Approved List Update
NHS Pharmacy First Approved List Update

The approved list of products for the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland Service has been updated from the 1st March 2025.

March 2025 Part 7 Publishing
March 2025 Part 7 Publishing

Due to the day on which the 1st March falls this year, we will publish the March edition of Part 7 on the website slightly later than usual, early next week.

New Teach & Treat Hubs Coming Soon
New Teach & Treat Hubs Coming Soon

We are pleased to let you know that there are two new Teach and Treat Hubs coming in April. The new hubs will be in Saracen Pharmacy and Garscadden Pharmacy, and will support the delivery of the Teach & Treat sessions.

Details for CPIP Employee Pharmacists on CPS/NES Courses, Qualifying February 2025
Details for CPIP Employee Pharmacists on CPS/NES Courses, Qualifying February 2025

Congratulations to everyone who has recently passed their Independent Prescribing Courses. Well done! Once you have had the chance to celebrate, here are some details for next steps.

NES Foundation Training Year (FTY) Recruitment for 2026/27: Opportunity to Participate Now!
NES Foundation Training Year (FTY) Recruitment for 2026/27: Opportunity to Participate Now!

As part of the preparations for the recruitment process for the summer 2026 intake of Foundation Training Year (FTY) trainee pharmacists,

Robbie Collins

Digital Communications Officer

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