Between March and May 2021, a total of 2,522 community pharmacies claimed for 13,265 DMS consultations, NHSE&I deputy director of community pharmacy strategy and contracts Lisa Simpson revealed last night (July 5) at the virtual National Pharmacy Association (NPA) conference.

The data is “purely an extrapolation” at this point, and NHSE&I does not yet have the number of participating NHS trusts, Ms Simpson said.

However, “we absolutely know from the evidence base that you are making care safer”, she told the NPA conference attendees.

She indicated that “extrapolate outcomes” from this data show that 1,326 admissions associated with medicines and 17,238 “bed days” have been avoided over a three-month period through the work of community pharmacies.

First mentioned as part of the five-year pharmacy contract in England announced in 2019, the DMS went live as an essential service on February 15. Under the service, hospitals digitally refer patients to community pharmacies for advice on newly prescribed medicines or changed prescriptions.

Almost half a million referred to CPCS

Ms Simpson – who was invited to update contractors on NHSE&I’s ambitions for pharmacy’s integration with the rest of the NHS – also referred to the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS).

She acknowledged that, while 430,000 patients have been referred to pharmacies from NHS 111 since the service was launched in October 2019, she thinks the sector can do more.

“A run rate of three patients per month doesn't feel like an endpoint to me. I’m very interested to hear your views on that and how far you think you could go,” she said.

The CPCS GP pathway has been “slow to start”, and it is NHSE&I’s priority to encourage GP practice engagement, Ms Simpson added.

“We don't think there’s a systematic reason that it can’t be successful,” she said.

Integration with PCNs and ICSs

The medicines use review (MUR) service was decommissioned in April because primary care networks (PCNs) currently carry out structured medication reviews (SMRs).

However, Ms Simpson suggested that “community pharmacy itself could be used by the PCN to undertake” some SMRs.

For instance, GPs might be “interested in getting some support for their diabetes patients, who maybe aren’t turning up in general practice very regularly”, she said.

Another area where pharmacy could “exploit its unique selling point” is within integrated care systems (ICSs), which are being formalised through the Health and Care Bill.

“I think ICS commissioners could be an exciting chapter [for pharmacy]”, Ms Simpson added.

The Health and Care Bill was introduced to Parliament today (July 6), and it “will ensure each part of England has an integrated care board and an integrated care partnership responsible for bringing together local NHS and local government”.