MEMBER UPDATE

News update: September 2021

Significant changes to the Pharmacy contract in England.

The agreement for year 3 of the Community Pharmacy Contractual framework in England between PSNC and NHSE&I has resulted in new services opportunities. The most significant changes at this stage are the expansion of the New Medicine Service (NMS) to additional therapeutic areas as below

• Hypercholesterolemia
• Osteoporosis
• Gout
• Heart Failure
• Glaucoma
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Epilepsy
• Urinary incontinence or retention
• Acute coronary syndromes
• Atrial fibrillation
• Long term risks of venous thromboembolism/embolism
• Stroke / transient ischemic attack and 
• Coronary heart disease

These changes came into effect from the 1^st of September as did a short term 6 month window to provide a ‘catch-up’ NMS to those patients who may have missed out on an NMS conversation but were prescribed a new medicine during the pandemic.

NMS completions will also be part of the Gateway criteria of this years PQS scheme which was also announced recently and will also be a key element in qualification for the transitional payment within the contract as this has been split between dispensing volume and service delivery

The second major change is the introduction of a Hypertension case finding service as an Advanced service from October 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter. This is following successful pilots of the scheme in selected areas. The service has two stages. The first is a blood pressure check following NICE guidelines and the second involves an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) where this is clinically indicated from the first stage. The service will require purchase of equipment and will be incentivised with payments of £1000 in the first year if the 5 ABPM interventions are completed in 2021/2022.