Pharmacy Contraception Service
In 2021, NHS England commenced a pilot involving pharmacies offering repeat supplies of oral contraception to people who had previously had the product prescribed. In the Year 4 and Year 5 CPCF negotiations, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England proposed the commissioning of a Pharmacy Contraception Service, as an Advanced service, building on the learning from the pilot service.
The objectives of the service are to:
- Provide a model for community pharmacy teams to initiate provision of oral contraception (OC), and to continue the provision of OC supplies initiated in primary care (including general practice and pharmacies) or sexual health clinics and equivalent. Both initiation and ongoing supply will be undertaken using PGDs to support the review and supply process; and
- Establish an integrated pathway between existing services and community pharmacies that provides people with greater choice and access when considering continuing their current form of OC.
The service aims to provide:
- People greater choice from where people can access contraception services; and
- Extra capacity in primary care and sexual health clinics (or equivalent) to support meeting the demand for more complex assessments.
CP NEL NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service Webinar