PCA(P)(2021)10 - Stationery Arrangements

Published: 21/07/21

This Circular advises NHS Boards of the procedures for community pharmacists who are qualified independent prescribers (IPs) to obtain NHS prescription stationery for use when providing the NHS Pharmacy First Plus service in community pharmacies.

Background

NHS Circular PCA (P)(2020)16 issued on 11 August 2020, enclosed a service specification for NHS Pharmacy First Plus, a Pharmacist Independent Prescriber-led common clinical conditions service which is arranged by local NHS Boards.

To date, NHS Boards have taken different approaches to providing prescription stationery to Pharmacist Independent Prescribers (PIPs) who are based in community pharmacies.

Detail

There is a desire to have a national approach to providing prescription stationery to PIPs in community pharmacies. The preferred model, as outlined below, should be followed by NHS Board staff when placing orders for stationery.

The prescription form GP10P should continue to be ordered for PIPs who are based in community pharmacies.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) is the body responsible for allocating codes and Practitioner Services Division (PSD) of NHS National Services Scotland (NHS NSS) supplies the prescription stationery once ordered. PIPs will be issued with a prescriber code for use when prescribing under the NHS Pharmacy First Plus service for each NHS Board area they work in.

Prescription pads will be issued to PIPs. The prescriber code will be linked to a generic NHS Board address so that the stationery can be used in multiple community pharmacies within the NHS Board area. PIPs will not be issued with a separate prescription pad for every community pharmacy premises where they are providing the NHS Pharmacy First Plus service. Prescription pads are ordered centrally by NHS Board authorised contacts to PSD fortnightly, in line with a scheduled print run and orders are usually delivered within 4 weeks of ordering.

On receipt of a request for registration as PIP the NHS Board should:

• confirm that the pharmacist is recognised by the General Pharmaceutical Council as an independent prescriber;

• request a prescriber code from the eVADIS team at PHS. Requests should be completed on the form PHS(P)3 submitted by the PIP and signed by an authorised NHS Board signatory.

• on receipt of the PIP’s prescriber code, complete the pharmacist independent prescriber order form (PSD GP10P) and send this to PSD. A copy of form PSD GP10P is at Annex A of this Circular. A flowchart summarising this process is attached at Annex B.

PSD will arrange printing of the prescription pads and deliver these to the NHS Board for onward transmission to the relevant PIP.

We would recommend that NHS Boards establishing the service should retire the current PIP codes and request new codes and stationery for PIPs to use for NHS Pharmacy First Plus. Prescription pads currently in use by PIPs in community pharmacies should be used up before moving to the new arrangements for NHS Pharmacy First Plus, before resigning any old codes, ordering a new code and stationery.

As the prescription pads stating the prescriber code are linked to a generic NHS Board address, NHS Boards will be able to monitor and report on prescribing activity for the PIP across all community pharmacies in the NHS Board area where the service is provided by using the prescriber code.

NHS Boards will also be able to monitor provision of the service based on dispensing activity for NHS Pharmacy First Plus prescriptions dispensed at a community pharmacy. It is expected that the majority of NHS Pharmacy First Plus prescriptions would be dispensed at the community pharmacy where the prescription was issued.

Community Pharmacy Scotland and NHS NSS has been consulted on the contents of this Circular.

Action

Health Boards are asked to note the contents of this Circular and to bring it to the attention of community pharmacy contractors on their Pharmaceutical Lists, Health and Social Care Partnerships and Area Pharmaceutical Committees.