Our Policy and PR Pharmacist attended the Norsk Farmasoytisk Selskap Pharmacy Conference in Oslo last Thursday where she gave a presentation on NHS Pharmacy First Scotland.

Community Pharmacy Scotland has been made aware of confusion around some of the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service (PFS) Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Patient Group Direction (PGD) details. We thought it would be useful to clarify these points.

Our colleagues at Scottish Government have produced an NHS Pharmacy First Scotland Service Communications Toolkit to help promote Pharmacy First services in Scotland. There are two kits available: one specifically for women's health services and one for general services.

There has been an update to the respiratory section of the NHS Pharmacy First (Scotland) Service Approved List of Products. This means that there are no longer any products listed under cough. It was agreed to remove Simple linctus sugar free, all pack sizes.

There has been an update to the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland Approved List.

On today's episode… NHS Pharmacy First (Scotland) Service Guidance & Flowchart, the Independent Prescribers Period of Learning in Practice and Designated Prescribing Practitioner Survey and the CPS Communications Survey for 2024.

guidance for the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland (NHS PFS) service, which is in response to previous questions and outcomes from live events held with the community pharmacy network. 

Referrals into community pharmacy from other healthcare professionals are becoming more frequent as community pharmacy services become more well known. This may result in an increase in recommendations to patients from other healthcare professionals when referring them to the community pharmacy for care.

The Scottish Government have updated the NHS Pharmacy First Approved List and to follow national prescribing guidance Simple Linctus sugar-free and Simple Linctus Paediatric sugar-free have now been removed from this list.

The update is to Section 10 Skin to remove Epimax Ointment and Epimax Paraffin free Ointment from NHS Grampian’s list only.

The NHS Pharmacy First Scotland Service approved list of products has been updated as of 1st of April 2024.

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.

We have been working with Scottish Government and NHS colleagues on trying to capture Pharmacy First Plus prescribing, advice and referrals data to better evidence the great work being done out in the network – at the moment, this cannot be separated out from standard Pharmacy First activity.

As some of you may be aware, NHS England are due to launch the NHS Pharmacy First service in English community pharmacies on 31st of January 2024.

Each local NHS Health Board has the ability to develop bespoke local pharmacy services to suit the needs of local communities and patients

This Circular provides updated guidance aimed at both community optometry and community pharmacy teams and an updated referral form for the assessment and treatment of minor eye conditions.

Patient Group Directions (PGDs) that are to be added to the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

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

As part of a move to a regional formulary review process in the East of Scotland, both NHS Lothian and NHS Borders will very shortly inform contractors that the dose of Flucloxacillin permitted

Our colleagues in Primary Care have highlighted the attached website as a source of information for professionals and patients which you may find useful in your practice, and Pharmacy First and First Plus in particular.