NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service goes live across England

29 Oct 2019

The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) launched today (29th October), placing community pharmacy formally in the NHS pathway for urgent care.

The new service enables NHS 111 to refer patients to community pharmacies for help with a minor illness or for an emergency supply of a medicine that they have previously been prescribed.

The NPA urges independent community pharmacies to engage with the service, whilst recognising the many challenges they already face and the pressures on their time. We want pharmacies to be better integrated with other health services and recognised as the front door to health care in every neighbourhood; the CPCS fits with that vision.

If the service is a success, it will help to embed community pharmacy’s place in local NHS healthcare provision. By helping people referred for urgent care, pharmacists can support patients in a timely manner, using their core knowledge and skills.

The NPA has produced a range of resources to support our members to deliver CPCS effectively, which can be accessed here. Pharmacists can also take advantage of the continuing professional development offer on the CPPE website.