Community Pharmacy & the Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care – Bulletin 8

Bulletin 8 -

Spotlight on the Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS)

Our records indicate that your pharmacy has signed up to provide the Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS) – thank you! This service enables community pharmacists to initiate oral contraception (OC) and to also continue supplies of OC where this has been initiated in primary care, providing an additional setting for women to access contraception and helping to increase capacity in practices and local sexual health clinics. 

Over 5000 consultations have been provided by West Yorkshire pharmacies to date, (@ May 2024), and the number of consultations provided every month is steadily increasing:

Whilst this fantastic to see, less than half the pharmacies registered for the service have recorded activity.

We are aware that the local sexual health service providers are keen to start signposting patients into the PCS and consequently, we would like to establish the number of pharmacies that are ready to start accepting patients into the service and to determine if any additional support is required.

How Will People Know About the Service?

Public-facing promotional materials for community pharmacies, sexual health clinics and general practices are downloadable from the PCS service page.



Top Tips

• Use the promotion materials on the CPE website (see under resources).
• Use your pharmacy team to explain the service to patients who are collecting prescriptions for contraception.
• Use your pharmacy team to manage appointments and reminders for patients.
• Engage with your local practices and sexual health clinics to maximise service opportunities. Make them aware that your pharmacy is participating in the service (a letter/email template to support is available on the CPE website).

A Couple of Reminders:

• Digital referrals are not required – the service can receive signposted referrals from local practices and sexual health clinics.

• Ensure your pharmacy is showing as providing the PCS on the NHS website - this allows your pharmacy to be identified as a provider of the service by members of the public and other healthcare professionals using the Pharmacy Contraception Service Finder.

If you have any questions on the Pharmacy Contraception Service, please don’t hesitate to contact the Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire Team by emailing info@cpwy.org.

Kind regards,

CPWY

Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire

www.cpwy.org

info@cpwy.org

0113 272 7560