Dear Member,
We would like to draw your attention to the updated NHS New Medicine Service (NMS) specification, which takes effect from 29 October 2025. These updates include several important and significant
changes that all contractors should note.
1. Sub-Contracting Ban
The new service specification explicitly prohibits sub-contracting for NMS.
Relevant clauses from the
updated Service Level Agreement (SLA) include:
3.12 Pharmacy contractors are not permitted to use sub-contracting arrangements at a location other than the pharmacy premises for the service to be provided on their behalf.
3.13 If the service is provided at a location other than the
pharmacy premises, the pharmacist delivering the service must:
(i) Be employed directly by the pharmacy, or a company in the same group as the pharmacy; and
(ii) Have access to the patient’s records required to provide the service safely and effectively.
2. Addition of Depression as a Clinical Category
The NMS has been expanded to include depression as a new clinical category. Contractors should ensure that their PMR systems correctly flag NMS opportunities for these medicines.
Some drugs have also been removed from the scheme — please review the attached Excel spreadsheet for the full list of changes.
We also recommend pharmacists complete the CPPE “Consulting with people with mental health problems” e-learning, which supports delivery of this new category and aligns with PQS requirements.
You can access it here:
https://www.cppe.ac.uk/programmes/l/mentheal-e-01
3. Updated Record-Keeping and Consultation Timings
The revised SLA also introduces changes to record-keeping and post-payment verification.
Please note the new consultation intervals:
• Intervention stage: 7–14 days after the hand-out.
• Follow-up consultation: 14–21 days after the intervention.
This is a slight change from previous timings, so please ensure your processes and reminders are updated accordingly.
Attachments
• Updated Service Level
Agreement
• Updated Drugs List (including additions and removals)
