CPCS (Community Pharmacy Consultation Service) Resources
The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service launched on 29th October 2019 as an Advanced Service.
The service connects patients who have a minor illness or need an urgent supply of a medicine with a community pharmacy.
The CPCS aims to relieve pressure on the wider NHS by connecting patients with community pharmacy, which should be their first port of call and can deliver a swift, convenient and effective service to meet their needs. Since the CPCS was launched, an average of 10,500 patients per week being referred for a consultation with a pharmacist following a call to NHS 111; these are patients who might otherwise have gone to see a GP
General practices can refer patients for a minor illness consultation via CPCS, once a local referral pathway has been agreed. As well as referrals from general practices, the service takes referrals to community pharmacy for minor illness or if a patient needs an urgent supply of a medicine from NHS 111 and NHS 111 online, Integrated Urgent Care Clinical Assessment Services and in some cases patients referred via the 999 service.
From 15th May 2023, 999 services or providers of urgent and emergency care who are authorised by NHS England to provide this (for example, Urgent Treatment or Urgent Care Centres, an Emergency Department or an Accident and Emergency Unit) can also make referrals to community pharmacy for minor illness or if a patient needs an urgent supply of a medicine.
The CPCS provides the opportunity for community pharmacy to play a bigger role than ever within the urgent care system.
From 31st January 2024 (subject to the required IT systems being in place), the service will be subsumed into the new Pharmacy First service (Advanced service). Read more about this:
Read more about the GP referral pathway
Read about – The Community Pharmacy Consultation Service – when is it complete?
The service connects patients who have a minor illness or need an urgent supply of a medicine with a community pharmacy.
As well as referrals from general practices, the service takes referrals to community pharmacy from NHS 111 and NHS 111 online, Integrated Urgent Care Clinical Assessment Services and in some cases patients referred via the 999 service.
The CPCS aims to relieve pressure on the wider NHS by connecting patients with community pharmacy, which should be their first port of call and can deliver a swift, convenient and effective service to meet their needs. Since the CPCS was launched, an average of 10,500 patients per week being referred for a consultation with a pharmacist following a call to NHS 111; these are patients who might otherwise have gone to see a GP
The CPCS provides the opportunity for community pharmacy to play a bigger role than ever within the urgent care system.
Download and listen to this slide set produced by Chris Kerry, GP Referral to CPCS Implementation and Support Manager for Derbyshire/Derby. It outlines some key points for you and your team regarding CPCS roll out.
Benefits of the service
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Action for contractors
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GP CPCS Local Implementation Sept 2022
February 2023 update
As the number of GP CPCS referrals increase across Derbyshire/Derby, we have developed a Top tips for Community Pharmacy to effectively implement and deliver GP-CPCS referrals. Click on the link below to access the information:
Top tips for community pharmacy to effectively implement and deliver GP-CPCS referrals
02 May 2023
Community pharmacy advanced service specification: NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service Version 3 published, available by clicking the link below
26 June 2023
*IMPORTANT NEWS* – AVOID ANY CPCS POTENTIAL SERVICE FEE LOSSES – CPCS claim period change from 1st August 2023
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that from 1st August 2023, the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) claims for payment should be submitted within one month of – and no later than three months from – the claim period for the chargeable activity provided
More information is available by clicking the link below:
04 July 2023
CPCS Service Specification Annex D Key Contact Details for Derby & Derbyshire (provided by NHS England) is available by clicking the link below:
Annex D provides:
- details of how the pharmacist can access the NHS 111 healthcare professionals’ line (for access to a clinician, to seek advice when the patient’s own general practice is not available)
- A link to the Directory of Services search tool
- NHS DoS provider and commissioner helpline contact details (for service disruption or to provide non urgent DoS feedback)
- Local NHS England team contact email
