Breaking News: Pharmacy First October threshold reduced to 20

Community Pharmacy urges NHS England to market Pharmacy First effectively and ensure that GPs are actively referring people to the service

In response to concerns raised by Community Pharmacy England (CPE), ministers have decided to lower the October threshold for the Pharmacy First service to 20.

This decision addresses a major worry for pharmacy owners who have struggled to meet the required number of clinical pathways for monthly Pharmacy First payments, especially as the October increase to 30 pathways approached.

CPE has been actively engaged in discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England over the past few weeks to address this issue.

Commenting on the decision, Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England, said: “It is great that ministers have responded to our concerns about another increase to the Pharmacy First payment threshold: this decision will save many community pharmacies from missing out on a vital payment this month.”

Morrison added that CPE will continue to monitor service data and, if needed, make further representations to ministers about future months.

She also emphasised the need to find a long-term solution, which involves “NHS England marketing Pharmacy First effectively and ensuring that GPs are actively referring people to the service.”

“It is encouraging that the new government has now acted twice to support community pharmacies struggling to meet Pharmacy First targets that were insisted on by the previous administration,” Morrison said.

Morrison also confirmed that CPE has been working to build constructive relationships with the new health ministerial team and is looking forward to resuming negotiations on the 2024/25 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) soon.

As stated in the announcement letter about the Pharmacy First service, from 1 October 2024, new caps on the number of consultations that can be delivered per month will be introduced based on the actual delivery of Pharmacy First clinical pathways.

A list of pharmacy owners, their assigned Band, and monthly cap is available on the NHS Business Services Authority’s (NHSBSA) website.

Malcolm Harrison, CEO of the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), expressed satisfaction with the NHS England's decision to reduce the October Pharmacy First threshold.

"This is something that the CCA has been discussing with stakeholders in recent months. Using our members’ data we have been able to demonstrate the need to lower the threshold and continue to give the sector time to deliver the new service.

"We now need NHS England to turbocharge GP referrals and promotion of the service to the public, especially as we enter into the winter period," he said.