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Sometimes things can go wrong, or we (Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex) fail to meet someone’s expectations of us. If you are unhappy with the service(s) or support provided by us or your LPC, it is important to let us know so we can improve.

Giving us feedback, or making a complaint are the two ways to tell us what you think. Read more.

More information

• • About us 
  • Contact us at lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk

CPE has a flu-hub where you can find everything you need for the flu season. These pages are updated when the season is underway. If you read these pages outside of the flu season you must check that any official documents are for the current year and season. Go to CPE’s flu-hub.

For more information 

• • CPE advice and FAQs on all aspects of providing this service, from training to getting paid and ordering vaccines to promoting your service.
  • Contact us at lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk

Community pharmacy contractors are required to demonstrate that all staff providing the service in their pharmacy have the skills needed to do so.

All pharmacy staff involved in the provision of the Flu Vaccination Service should receive appropriate training relevant to the role they will undertake. 

Vaccination training

National Minimum Standards and Core Curriculum for Immunisation Training for Registered Healthcare Practitioners sets the standards and lists the essential topics which should be incorporated into immunisation training for registered healthcare practitioners.

Pharmacists and other vaccinators who are delivering the flu vaccine must have completed practical training in vaccination that meets these requirements.

From the 2022/23, pharmacists and other vaccinators only need to attend face-to-face training for both injection technique and basic life support training periodically.

Contractors and vaccinators will now need to consider when it would be appropriate to attend refresher training or if ongoing competence of an individual vaccinator can be evidenced, without the need for face-to-face training.

An individual’s continued competence may be influenced by their prior experience vaccinating patients, including the overall number of vaccines administered and the regularity with which they administer vaccines.

It is recommended that vaccinators should keep a portfolio of completed competency checklists, knowledge test score sheets, reflective logs, completion of e-learning course certificates and certificates of attendance at immunisation training courses and updates. This will provide vaccinators evidence of completion of training and achievement of competence to both current and future employers.

Vaccinators are expected to undertake annual update training, to ensure their knowledge stays up to date with changes in practice and guidance. This may involve self-directed learning, using relevant references sources, such as the Green Book, online learning, or the annual flu letter.

The Flu vaccinator competency assessment tool, is used as a self-assessment tool, an assessment tool for use with a supervisor or both depending on the previous experience of the vaccinator.

The LPC are not offering any face to face training, however here are a number of organisations that provide vaccination training for pharmacists, training providers are listed on the CPE website here.

For more information 

• • • CPE advice and FAQs on all aspects of providing this service, from training to getting paid and ordering vaccines to promoting your service.
    • For more information visit our “Advanced services” page here.
    • Contact us at lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk

Dependent on the area that the pharmacy is in there are two formularies within the Surrey geography, whilst Sussex currently has four. The purpose of the formulary is to ensure prescribing is evidence based and cost effective.

For more information 

• Find links to each formulary here along with contacts for medicines management teams 

• • This article from the NHS Counter Fraud Authority sets out the risks of fraud, how to prevent fraud and report fraudulent use of prescription forms.
  • If you need to report instances of stolen or lost prescription forms (but no fraudulent use is suspected), please contact the police, Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer (CDAO) and Local Counter Fraud Specialist (LCFS).
  • Contact us at lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk

We have been alerted to a number of fake letters on NHS and DHSC letterheads that have been sent to pharmacies.

Please be vigilant; take a moment to stop and think before parting with information that could keep your business or patients safe. Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or challenge any requests.

If you receive anything suspicious, or are contacted by someone in suspicious circumstances, please report the matter to the police or to Action Fraud. 

Suspicions of fraud against the NHS can also be reported anonymously and confidentially online here or by phoning the 24-hour fraud and corruption reporting line on: 0800 028 4060.

In November 2016, NHS England published Freedom to speak up in Primary Care – guidance to primary care providers on supporting whistleblowing in the NHS. It requires each contractor to name an individual as the ‘Freedom to Speak Up Guardian’ who can ensure that policies are in place and that staff know who to contact if they have a concern; this person must be independent of management within the pharmacy and not be the direct employer.

To support contactors across Surrey and Sussex, Julia Powell, our Chief Executive Officer, has agreed to be the Freedom to Speak up Guardian for independent contractors in the area if they wish. The role will include:

1. At their request, providing independent and impartial advice to the contractor’s staff on potential whistleblowing issues such as:

• • Poor clinical practice or other malpractice which may harm patients.
  • Failure to safeguard patients.
  • Maladministration of medications or dispensing errors.
  • Untrained or poorly trained staff.
  • Lack of policies creating a risk of harm. (noting that the first line of advice should be within the contractor).

2.  Access and authority to speak to anybody within the contractor’s organisation; and,
3.  Authority to report a concern externally, if required in accordance with professional standards.

Procedure for contractors wishing to nominate our chief executive officer as their Freedom to Speak up Guardian

• • Please download this Freedom to Speak Up Guardian form and complete the section highlighted in yellow.
  • Print two copies, sign as the contractor and send to CPSS with a copy of your whistleblowing policy.
  • We will then confirm back in writing with a copy of the agreement that this is now in place for your pharmacy.

For more information

• • See  CPEs dedicated whistleblowing webpage
  • Email lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk

Pharmacy owners and superintendent pharmacists are accountable for the outcomes of their inspection, so should ensure everyone in their teams is always suitably prepared to host a General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) inspection, including collecting evidence for inspection, continually renewing their evidence, and taking part in training.

The GPhC’s inspection report website is where you can find Pharmacy Inspection Reports. A searchable ‘knowledge hub’ has anonymised examples of excellent, good and poor practice.

• • The GPhC standards for community pharmacies can be found here.

An important part of the community pharmacy contractual framework is that pharmacies participate in public health campaigns specified by NHS England every year. Read more.

For more information 

• • Contact us: lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk 

Recording and reporting patient safety incidents has been a requirement under the CPCF since 2005 and a framework is in place to facilitate this. 

• • Read current CPE guidance and download relevant forms.

For more information 

• • Contact us at lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk