RE: Pharmacy Oral Contraceptive Service and PharmaPlus's Updated Position

Dear Member,

We recently sent out some training guidance (attached) on the Oral Contraceptive Service and a position statement from PharmaPlus which was:

We recommend that members carefully consider their position on whether they can or cannot launch this service until the funding and capacity issues are first resolved. Pharmaplus does not currently recommend starting the service, although we do suggest completing the training to be ready to launch it in due course.

Since then, the CPE (PSNC) has not updated its position. It is still struggling to reach a resolution to the funding crisis. However, the government has confirmed a plan for a new Pharmacy 1st Service with £645m of funding attached to it for winter 2023. We also know that we will have to deliver the flu service and PQS at this time. We are concerned about the capacity in community pharmacy to complete this training in winter 2023 by not starting until the funding and capacity issues are first resolved.

Therefore, we are now updating our position statement to:

Members should undertake the training as soon as possible and launch the service with the aim to complete 10 consultations by Oct 2023 or sooner.

We have suggested this because the first 10 supplies under this service carry additional payments linked to the set up and this could be considered acceptable.

The payments for the first 10 are summarised as follows:

- £400 paid on signing up to deliver the service via the NHSBSA MYS portal.

- £250 paid after claiming the first 5 consultations.

- £250 paid after claiming a further 5 consultations (i.e., 10 consultations completed).

- A fee of £18 for each consultation.

The total for the first 10 would therefore be £1080.

Please contact the office on info@pharmaplusltd.co.uk if you have any further questions or concerns.

Regards,

PharmaPlus