Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework settlement 2024/25 and 2025/26

Funding and other arrangements for community pharmacies for 2024/25 and 2025/26 have been finalised and announced on 31st March 2025. For more details, please refer to Community Pharmacy England website

We are committed to support Essex Contractors during the journey over the next year, but initially concentrating over the next 6 months.

The changes to the contractual framework were discussed at the full Committee meeting on 16^th April and at our office annual workplan session in May, and we are pleased to say that as a minimum the following support will be available, either directly or through our associated provider company, Healthy Living Partnership Ltd. Our aim is that every contractor in Essex who wants to participate in the Pharmacy Quality Scheme is supported to achieve maximum points and therefore income.

• Mental Health: In addition to the CPPE training we will shortly circulate an Expression of Interest for face to face training (based on the Thurrock antidepressant NMS pilot) at the conference on 19^th October, and for further places on the certificated Mental Health First Aid training. Committee member lead for this workstream is Mo Raje
• Contraception service sign-up (gateway) and Emergency contraception training. We recorded the March webinar with Sue Luty from the Essex Sexual Health Service, and this is available on both the Community Pharmacy Essex website and the Healthy Living Partnership website. Committee member lead for meeting Gateway criteria is Kevin Western, Committee member lead for Contraception service is Jon Lake
• Patient Safety Antimicrobial Stewardship and Sepsis awareness. We will share links to ICB antimicrobial formularies and resources, and continue to identify any local issues through attendance at patient safety networks. Committee lead for AMS and Sepsis is Tunde Sokoya.
• Patient Safety Respiratory. We are extending the North East Essex primary care respiratory support network to an Essex wide organisation. Committee lead for Respiratory is Christine Stafford.

Continue to watch this space for further information as well as details featuring in our monthly newsletter.

Meanwhile if there is other support you think you might require either contact your locality committee member, or contact us at the office office@cpesx.org.ukhttps://essexlpc.sharepoint.com/Essex%20LPC/Forms/AllItems.aspx

From 1st June 2025, pharmacy owners must be registered and able to deliver the Hypertension Case Finding Service, the Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS), AND the Pharmacy First service, pharmacies were contacted prior to the deadline date if showing only 1 or 2 services registered.

Those pharmacies that have registered and able to deliver ALL services will be entitled to the following variable monthly payments

• • £500 for those providing 20-29 Clinical pathways consultations within a month; and
  • £1,000 for those pharmacies that provide 30 or more Clinical pathways consultations within a month.

Payments for Pharmacy First consultations will need to be claimed within one month from the end of the end of the month in which they were provided. ie consultations in June will need to be claimed by end of July

Clinical Pathways band assignments and monthly caps have also changed,

A list of contractors, their assigned band, and monthly cap is included on the NHSBSA website

For more details about the CPCF arrangements and future development please click here for Community Pharmacy England website