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Pharmacy First

The Pharmacy First scheme provides professional health care advice, treatments, and medicines for common illnesses from your local pharmacy, without the need for an appointment.

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Under a fifth of polled contractors expect to hit Pharmacy First target in September

Avicenna members not confident they will complete 20 pathway consultations in September

11 Sep 2024 , 1 Min Article

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Avicenna conference: Fix funding first, says Buxton

Fears that contractors will walk away from Pharmacy First due to unrealistic thresholds.

10 Sep 2024 , 2 Min Article

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Letters to the editor

NHS England is bleeding pharmacies of funding!

04 Sep 2024 , 1 Min Article

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Analysis: Pharmacies face arguably their biggest test this winter

Pharmacy owners are concerned about how much of an impact Pharmacy First will have on the busy winter season.

04 Sep 2024 , 1 Min Article

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CPE: NHS failing to publicise Pharmacy First as it raises payment threshold

Morrison calls on NHS to support the service as activity threshold doubles.

02 Sep 2024 , 3 Min Article

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Government set to claw back over £1m in Pharmacy First money

Over 500 contractors did not deliver five clinical Pharmacy First consultations needed to secure an upfront payment of £2,000.

29 Aug 2024 , 2 Min Article

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GP strike action impacting Pharmacy First communications

Doctors are switching off Update Record functionality as part of their collective action.

19 Aug 2024 , 2 Min Article

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Pharmacy owners’ views in survey will inform CPE committee meeting next month

Community Pharmacy England wants owners’ views on increased Pharmacy First thresholds and GPs’ industrial action.

09 Aug 2024 , 1 Min Article

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GPs capping appointments is ‘great opportunity’ for Pharmacy First

Numark chairman Harry McQuillan said it was “more important than ever” the public is aware of Pharmacy First.

02 Aug 2024 , 2 Min Article

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Category M error is “severe blow” to pharmacy, warns Numark chairman

Harry McQuillan said the Government was penalising pharmacies for a mistake they were not responsible for.

31 Jul 2024 , 2 Min Article

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Pharmacy First threshold for August reduced from 20 to 15

CPE chief Janet Morrison said negotiator will “review ongoing service data” with DHSC and NHSE.

31 Jul 2024 , 2 Min Article

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Pharmacies claimed for 400,000 Pharmacy First consultations in first three months

Seventy-eight per cent of consultations resulted in a medicine being supplied to patients.

29 Jul 2024 , 1 Min Article

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We’re working at pace to fix Pharmacy First problems, insists CPE chief

Reports have emerged that pharmacies are struggling to reach the minimum number of consultations to secure the £1,000 payment.

04 Jul 2024 , 1 Min Article

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BMA feuds with NHS over pharmacy record sharing functionality

GPC tells practices to switch off GP Connect function amid face-off with NHS England.

03 Jul 2024 , 2 Min Article

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GP Pharmacy First referrals using EMIS or PharmRefer to appear in pharmacy systems

IT system suppliers have started to roll out a feature that allows Pharmacy First referrals from general practices that use EMIS Web Local Services or PharmRefer to appear in pharmacy systems

24 Jun 2024 , 1 Min Article

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