Pharmacy Contraception Service

Pharmacy Contraception Service

The NHS Pharmacy Contraception service has been commissioned as an Advanced service that Started on 24th April 2023, allowing the on-going supply of oral contraception (OC) from community pharmacies. From 1st December 2023, the service included both initiation and on-going supply of Oral Contraception this update relaunched the service from 1^st December 2023.

Download the service specification and Patient Group Directions

Service Specification

PGD Progesterone only contraceptive pill

PGD Combined oral hormonal contraceptive pill

Service Directions & Drug tariff determination

Download the service pathway for initiation

Download the service pathway for ongoing supply

Briefing 031/23: Guidance on the Pharmacy Contraception Advanced Service
This Community Pharmacy England Briefing provides additional guidance for pharmacy owners and their teams on the service. 

To find a pharmacy who is offering the service please use the service finder here.

To access your local formularies to determine the most appropriate medication to offer in line with the formulary for your local area, please click on the links below

• Sussex ICB combined hormonal contraception
• Sussex ICB Progesterone only contraception
• Frimley ICB Combined hormonal contraceptives  
• Frimley ICB Progesterone only contraceptives
• Surrey ICB Formulary

The service will involve providing initiation and ongoing management of routine oral contraception.

The supplies will be authorised via a Patient Group Direction (PGD), with appropriate checks, such as the measurement of the patient’s blood pressure and body mass index, being undertaken, where necessary.

Pharmacy owners must use an NHS-assured clinical IT system to make their clinical records and payment claims for the service and, where the person has consented, to send messages containing the individual’s consultation outcomes to their general practice. 

Details of the IT solutions available to support the service can be found on our Pharmacy services IT requirements webpage. 

All payment claims for the service must be made through the API this transfers the data to MYS.

The following fees have been agreed for the service: 

• A set-up fee of £900 per pharmacy premises paid in instalments as follows: 
• £400 paid on signing up to deliver the service via the NHSBSA’s MYS portal; 
• £250 paid after claiming the first 5 consultations;  
• £250 paid after claiming a further 5 consultations (i.e. 10 consultations completed); and 
• A fee for each consultation of £18. 

A consultation fee is claimable irrespective of the outcome of the consultation.  

Where a pharmacy owner is commissioned to provide any related services, e.g. the Hypertension Case-Finding Service (incorporating BP clinic measurement), the pharmacy owner may not claim twice for the same activity. 

The product price for the OC supplied will be reimbursed in accordance with the Drug Tariff determination

Training requirements and competency

Pharmacy owners must ensure that pharmacy staff providing any aspect of the service are competent to do so in line with the specific skills and knowledge in the service specification and the relevant PGDs. This may involve completion of training.

Pharmacy owners need to keep documentary evidence that all pharmacy staff involved in any aspect of provision of the service are competent with regards to the specific skills and knowledge outlined in the service specification and the relevant PGDs. 

Pharmacists providing the service will be personally responsible for remaining up to date with the skills and competencies identified in the service specification and associated PGDs.

To provide the service, the pharmacist should have evidence of competence in the clinical skills and knowledge covered in the below listed training modules on the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) and/or the Health Education England e-learning for healthcare (elfh).

CPPE also has a list of the modules and other useful tools and resources on the NHS PCS page of their website.

Note – packages that are highly recommended are indicated by an asterisk *  

Mandatory training 

Pharmacists providing the service must have completed one of the recommended Safeguarding level 3 training materials OR have direct access to professional advice from someone who can advise on Safeguarding at Level 3.  

• Safeguarding Level 3 - Safeguarding Children and Adults Level 3 for Community Pharmacists – video on elfh;  

OR   

• Safeguarding Level 3 elfh Safeguarding Children and Young People (SGC) – Safeguarding Children Level 3.   

Recommended training modules 

• * CPPE Emergency contraception e-learning including emergency contraception e-assessment;   
• * CPPE Contraception e-learning including contraception e-assessment;   

OR the following four subsections of:   

• *Module 3 – Contraceptive Choices of the FSRH Sexual and Reproductive Health e-learning (e-SRH) on elfh:  

• • 03_01: Mechanism of action, effectiveness and UKMEC; 
  • 03_02: Choosing contraceptive methods; 
  • 03_03: Combined hormonal contraception; and  
  • 03_04: Progestogen only methods (oral and injectable).  

• * CPPE Sexual health in pharmacies e- learning and e-assessment;   

OR the following four subsections of   

• *Module 9 – STIs of the FSRH e-SRH on elfh:  

• • 09_01: Epidemiology and transmission of STIs;  
  • 09_02: Sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing;  
  • 09_03: STI management; and  
  • 09_04: Partner notification.  

AND one subsection in the   

• *External Resources module of the Sexual Health (PWP) e-learning on elfh:  

• FSRH – Contraception counselling eLearning.   

 Initiation of contraception

• The following subsections of Module 2 – Consent and history taking of FSRH e-SRH on elfh:  

• • 02_01 Health history and risk assessment; and   
  • 02_02 Confidentiality, chaperones, and consent.  

• The following subsection of Module 3 – Contraceptive choices of the FSRH e-SRH on elfh:  

• • * 03_07 Barrier contraceptives  

• The following subsections of Module 5 – Contraception: managing side-effects and complications of the FSRH e-SRH on elfh:  

• • 05_01 Managing bleeding problems in women using contraceptives;  
  • 05_02 Managing contraceptive side-effects; and 
  • 05_03 Managing side-effects and complications of IUD and IUS.  

Other training to support clinical practice  

• CPPE Documenting in patient clinical records e-learning;  
• CPPE Remote consultation skills e-learning;  
• Patient group directions e-learning on elfh; and  
• CPPE consultation skills for pharmacy practice: taking a person-centred approach and e-assessment. 

Pharmacy team training 

The whole pharmacy team can proactively promote this service. Teams should be briefed on the service and coached on how to best approach people about the service.  A pharmacy team briefing and a guide on how to recruit people is available to assist pharmacy owners to engage and coach their team members. 

Pharmacy staff who are going to provide blood pressure measurements and BMI calculations must have the necessary training required to undertake blood pressure readings and measure an individual’s weight and height. These staff need must: 

• Be familiar with the appropriate sections of NICE guideline Hypertension in adults: diagnosis and management [NG136]; 
• Have read and understood the operational processes to provide blood pressure and BMI measurements; and 
• Have completed the recommended training on how to use the blood pressure monitoring equipment which should be provided by the equipment manufacturer/supplier. 

Equipment that is to be used to undertake clinic blood pressure checks in the service must be validated by the British and Irish Hypertension Society (BIHS), so pharmacy owners must use a ‘normal’ BP meter which is included on one of the two following BIHS lists: 

• Validated BP Monitors for Home Use
• Validated BP Monitors for Specialist Use

Sexual Health Services

In some cases, irrespective of the outcome of the consultation, it may be appropriate to also signpost the person accessing the service to another healthcare provider e.g. the possible need for screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). You must ensure the individual has contact details of any appropriate local services/sexual health service.

For Brighton&Hove pharmacies, please signpost here.

For West Sussex Pharmacies, please signpost here.

For East Sussex Pharmacies, please signpost here.

For Surrey Pharmacies, please signpost here.

Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex hosted a webinar to support contractors with implementing the service. During the webinar we had two pharmacists speak on how they have successfully implemented the service along with some top tips. If you missed the webinar and would like some support, please watch the webinar here.