Pharmacies reminded to submit Covid-19 test distribution data to avoid order ban

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committe (PSNC) has reminded contractors to submit Covid-19 test distribution service weekly data to help Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to monitor the stock availability.

"If pharmacies are not routinely reporting the distribution of test kits to the public, but are still ordering test kits from the wholesaler, this may be viewed as an accumulation of test kits," said PSNC.

The agency added that the DHSC may request Alliance Healthcare Distribution to block further orders for test kits from these pharmacies.

"These order bars may then not be lifted until reported distribution from the pharmacy via MYS indicates more regular use of the service at the pharmacy and a reduced level of test kits stock held in the pharmacy," it noted.

The contractors who have signed up to provide the NHS community Pharmacy Covid-19 Lateral Flow Device Distribution Service need to record the information on the NHSBSA Manage Your Service (MYS) portal by close of business on the pharmacy’s last trading day of the week.

When contractors receive test kits from the wholesaler, information such as Lot Number, quantity of cartons, supplying wholesaler, and date of receipt must be entered on the MYS portal by close of business on the pharmacy’s last trading day of the week

Contractors can use PSNC's Covid-19 Lateral Flow Device Stock Record Sheet (available in PDF or Microsoft Word) to record this information.

They are also required to keep the above information for six months to support product recalls on the test kits. 

With regards to contractors' supply test kits, they are expected to ask three questions and the answers to two of the questions must be entered into the MYS portal by the close of business on the pharmacy’s last trading day of the week. 

PSNC has produced data collection sheets which contractors can use to record the answers to these questions (PDF or Microsoft Word); this information can then to be added to the MYS portal at a later date/time in the week. 

These are requirements of the service specification and assist the DHSC with weekly activity reporting to the government, as well as supporting DHSC with regular monitoring of test kit stock availability.