To support Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) which starts on October 29 a toolkit to support pharmacy teams has been published on the NHS Business Services Authority website.

The CPCS aims to reduce pressure on the primary and urgent care system, particularly hospital A&E departments and GP out-of-hours. The service aims to support the integration of community pharmacy into the urgent care system.

The Toolkit has been developed by NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I), with input from the Urgent Care Delivery & Implementation Group (a group of NHS and community pharmacy experts set up by PSNC and NHSE&I to help implement the CPCS). It contains two sections – the first is a short briefing on the service which is aimed at all pharmacy team members. The second section contains more detail on the service.

The NHS BSA’s webpage on the CPCS also provides, in addition to the service specification, a self-assessment framework to support pharmacists in reflecting on their knowledge and skills to provide the service.

Over 1,000 pharmacies have signed up to the CPCS since registration began on September 2, pharmacy minister Jo Churchill told the LPC conference on September 25 in London.