PSNC yesterday announced that pharmacies in England will be required to take part in one national health campaign this year – focusing on weight management – rather than the “usual” six.
The adult obesity campaign will run from January 3 until January 29 and will promote adult nutrition and physical activity.
PSNC told C+D it agreed to a single campaign for the year due to “capacity constraints” on pharmacy teams.
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PSNC director of NHS services Alastair Buxton said: “Cognisant of the capacity constraints applying to pharmacy contractors and their teams, PSNC agreed participation in a single mandatory campaign for 2022/23, rather than the usual six.
“The campaign topic and timing fits with a focus within much of the population on New Year’s resolutions during January and it supports work that many teams would already be planning to meet the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (PQS) requirements.”
Contractors can order resources such as posters and info cards or download digital campaign resources including email signatures, web banners, and digital screens from the Department of Health and Social Care (DH), PSNC said.
Pharmacy teams “could use the campaign materials as conversation starters” to help them meet the weight management requirements in this year’s PQS, it added.
Under the “healthy living support” domain of the 2022/23 PQS, pharmacy teams are required to proactively discuss weight management with a minimum of 25 patients.
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They must also refer at least four patients who meet the criteria to a local authority-funded tier 2 weight management service or to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme.
Involvement in public health campaigns is mandatory under the community pharmacy contract and pharmacies can be required to participate in up to six health campaigns per year at the request of NHSE.
Last year, community pharmacy contractors were required to take part in four mandatory health campaigns, covering weight management, smoking cessation, winter vaccines and a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in May 2021.
It comes as the National Pharmacy Association has said that community pharmacies could play a crucial role in helping to address rising obesity rates.
And in October, contractors warned C+D that proposals put forward by the government, which could see the entire national anti-obesity strategy dropped, were “completely unsustainable” and could trigger increased demand for pharmacies’ already popular weight-loss services.