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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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.