Community Pharmacy England (CPE) - News updates

Pharmacy teams should be aware that Pfizer Limited has recently ceased supplying a number of its well-established brands and released generic equivalent versions instead. The table below includes the Pfizer products that have recently transitioned from brand to generic along with information on ordering codes and list prices. Branded Product Name Generic Product Name Generic [...] The post Pfizer brands now available as generics appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

The Government’s Spending Review has concluded, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves today announcing the Government’s new spending priorities. The announcement included a 3% real terms uplift to NHS funding, for each of the coming three years, with the Government reiterating its commitment to its three shifts for healthcare: moving care closer to home, from treatment to [...] The post Government announces Spending Review Outcome appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

MHRA Class 4 Medicines Defect Notification: Dulcolax® Adult 5mg gastro-resistant tablets, Opella Healthcare Drug alert number: EL(25)A/26 Date issued: 10 June 2025 Opella Healthcare UK LTD has informed the MHRA that there is an error on the artwork for the outer carton of Dulcolax® Adult 5mg GR Tablets (packsize 20 count). The dose instruction incorrectly states [...] The post MHRA Class 4 Medicines Defect Notification: Dulcolax® Adult 5mg gastro-resistant tablets (Opella Healthcare) appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

As the provision of clinical services in community pharmacies continues to grow, pharmacy professionals who want to update their knowledge of best practice in record keeping can access the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education Documenting in patient clinical records e-learning programme. This learning programme will support pharmacy professionals to: Summarise the legal and regulatory requirements [...] The post Are you confident in making clinical records? appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

MHRA Class 2 Medicines Notification: Paracetamol 500mg Tablets (Chelonia Healthcare Limited) Drug alert number: EL(25)A/25 Date issued: 09 June 2025 Chelonia Healthcare Limited is recalling specific batches of Paracetamol 500mg Tablets (100 pots) as a precautionary measure due to contamination following a small number of complaints of discoloured tablets within the pots. DMRC reference number: [...] The post MHRA Class 2 Medicines Recall: Paracetamol 500mg Tablets (Chelonia Healthcare Limited) appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

NHS England has announced the launch of a new community pharmacy Point of Care (PoC) IT Supplier Contractual Framework, which will allow pharmacy owners to choose which PoC system they use to make their clinical records for the Flu and COVID-19 vaccination services during the Autumn/Winter 2025/26 campaign. IT suppliers listed on the new framework [...] The post NHS England launches vaccine IT system framework appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

Community pharmacy owners are being asked to share their views on pharmacy service developments and their financial security, ahead of the next full Community Pharmacy England Committee meeting taking place at the end of this month (25th and 26th June). Two months after the introduction of a new CPCF funding settlement, the implementation of various [...] The post Pharmacy owner views sought on recent CPCF changes and their financial resilience appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

Update 06/06/25 – The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has provided an update on the Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) for Estradot® 75micrograms/24hours patches (SSP080) and Estradot® 100micrograms/24hours patches (SSP081). All two SSPs were due to expire on 6 June 2025. The end date for all two Estradot® SSPs has been further extended to Friday [...] The post SSPs for Estradot® patches (SSP080 and SSP081) extended appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicine supply notification for NovoRapid® PumpCart® (insulin aspart) 100units/ml solution for injection 1.6ml cartridges. MSN/2025/034 Tier 2 – medium impact Date of issue: 4th June 2025 NovoRapid® PumpCart® (insulin aspart) 100units/ml solution for injection 1.6ml cartridges are in limited supply until 2027 and cannot support [...] The post Medicine Supply Notification: NovoRapid® PumpCart® (insulin aspart) 100units/ml solution for injection 1.6ml cartridges appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.

Community Pharmacy England would like to remind pharmacy owners of the correct use of the exemption reason ‘Was prescribed free-of-charge STI sexual health medication’ coded ‘0017’. This follows information provided by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) indicating that in February 2025, 575 EPS prescription items were submitted with the EPS exemption code ‘0017’ without [...] The post Guidance on the correct use of the ‘FS’ (0017) exemption category appeared first on Community Pharmacy England.