Community pharmacies need to transform over the five years of the CPCF agreement. This is not a process of ticking boxes to create the appearance of change but affecting real change to meet the needs of the NHS.

Leadership is required to ensure every aspect of the pharmacy operation is aligned to delivering the new pharmacy service. Factors to consider include:

Team

What roles will be needed to operate the dispensing service with limited involvement of the pharmacist? What skills will different members of the team need in those roles? Do you have the right people working in the pharmacy now, and if you don’t how will you get the right people?

Technology

Is your computer system fit for purpose as a clinical system to meet the needs of the CPCF? Can you influence your supplier or do you need to change suppliers?

Premises

Are your premises fit for purpose? Will you need more than one consulting room in the future? Will you need the same configuration for your dispensary when your dispensing processes change?

Pharmacists' skills

How will the pharmacist need to develop to be fit for the future? What range of skills will need to be developed – clinical, leadership, managing change, managing staff, indirect supervision?

Governance

How do your systems, processes and SOPs need to change to allow the pharmacist to supervise indirectly and be confident of quality?

To be fit for the future, consider these action points:

1. Engage with the NHS, MUR and National NHS Flu Vaccination Services if you don’t do so already

2. Create or update an evidence portfolio for the pharmacy to demonstrate how you meet the requirements of HLP accreditation

3. Ensure you have a member of the pharmacy team who has completed appropriate leadership training

4. Ensure you have at least one whole-time-equivalent (WTE) pharmacy team member who has successfully completed the Level 2 Understanding Health Improvement qualification.

5. Ensure the process for delivering NMS is robust to ensure capacity to deliver the service for a wider range of indications and conditions

6. Plan to complete 50 MURs before April 2020

7. Plan to complete 100 MURs in 2020/21 focused on the targeted patient groups

8. Engage with the TCAM service if provided locally

9. Ensure the pharmacy is offering NMS and/or the NHS Flu Vaccination Service

10. Review access to NHSmail in the pharmacy to ensure there are sufficient accounts to meet the needs of the pharmacy

11. Include safeguarding level 2 in your pharmacy’s training matrix for pharmacy professionals

12. Identify the PCN you want to align to

13. Engage with other local pharmacies

14. If you are interested in becoming the lead representative contact your LPC

15. Create a training matrix for all staff detailing deadlines for completion of different training requirements

16. Develop a quality portfolio to collect evidence of meeting different quality criteria

17. Train all staff on sepsis

18. Create an action plan for the safety report

19. Create an action plan to complete the patient safety audits on time

20. Consider what your learning needs are to deliver the current contractual requirements and what you may need for future personal development.