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.
How does the service work?
When a patient with minor illness symptoms contacts their GP practice requesting an appointment the care navigator or receptionist will ask them a series of questions using a standard appropriate symptom checklist. If their symptoms are appropriate, the GP practice can refer them for a same-day consultation with a community pharmacist. With the patient’s consent, the practice team can send an electronic referral message to the pharmacy
What happens next?
Following the referral, the pharmacist will contact the patient the same day by phone and either carry out the consultation by telephone, or arrange for the patient to attend the pharmacy, if appropriate. Some patients may be offered a video consultation by the pharmacist.
Pharmacists are trained to recognise ‘red flag’ symptoms suggestive of more serious illness and after initial triage, where symptoms do suggest something more serious, the pharmacist will help the patient to arrange an urgent GP appointment using the practice’s dedicated professional number or escalate to an urgent care setting such as the emergency department, if needed.
Common Questions Asked By Patients
Q. If I go to the pharmacist, I won’t get an appointment
A. If following your consultation with the pharmacist, your condition requires them to raise anything with us, or arrange an urgent appointment for you, they will do that as part of the service.
Q. The pharmacist won’t know what to do
A. Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals, with five years training and spend a high percentage of their time helping patients with symptoms such as yours. The pharmacist will call you for an initial telephone consultation to assess your condition and you’ll be given advice about your symptoms and any ongoing self-care.
Q. I am not going to pay for anything as I get my prescriptions free
A. Your pharmacist will provide you with advice on how to treat your symptoms, which may include a medicine or product. Medicines that can be purchased in a pharmacy to treat minor illnesses, are usually inexpensive and would not normally be prescribed by your GP anyway. You are free to choose if you wish to make a purchase or not.
Q. I really don’t want to see the pharmacist
A. We want to ensure that you are offered an appointment with the most appropriate qualified health care professional based on your symptoms. If you have minor illness symptoms that can be treated the same day through a consultation with a qualified community pharmacist, but do not want to accept this referral, we will arrange a routine appointment for you with the GP at a future date.
