Published: 30/09/21

This Circular encloses a revised Approved List of Products for the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service, which will come into force from 1st October 2021.

Background

NHS Circular PCA (P)(2020)13, issued on 1 July 2020 enclosed the Health Board Additional Pharmaceutical Services (NHS Pharmacy First Scotland) (Scotland) Directions 2020 (“2020 Directions”) which came into force as of 29 July 2020, along with the service specification. Annex E of that Circular also included an Approved List of Products to be used by all community pharmacies delivering the service.

Detail

As NHS Pharmacy First Scotland and the Approved List have been in place for over one year, a review of the Approved List has been undertaken. Community Pharmacy Contractors and Health Boards were able to feed in suggested changes to the list through a survey hosted by Community Pharmacy Scotland. Community Optometrists and Optometry Advisers were asked to submit any suggested changes to the existing eye products.

Local Area Drug and Therapeutics Committees (ADTCs) have considered all of the suggested changes and submitted their views and decisions to the Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee Collaborative (ADTCC) who has determined overall approval of the revised list.

The revised Approved List, which will come into force on 1 October 2021, can be found at Annex A. Part 17 of the Scottish Drug Tariff will also be updated to reflect the revised List.

A list of product additions and deletions is provided as an Appendix to the Approved List. This includes feedback on the reasons behind the decisions made on each product.

NHS Pharmacy First Scotland is a consultation-based service and products included on the Approved List can be supplied in response to symptoms presented as part of a consultation, rather than in response to a request for a specific product.