This service is one where the community pharmacy contractor provides a Pharmacist Independent Prescriber (PIP)-led service for patients presenting in the community pharmacy for a minimum of 25 hours per week and for 45 weeks of the year. Its purpose is to provide an easily accessible service for common clinical conditions which are beyond the scope of the standard NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service; and when offered will ensure the patient receives the most appropriate and expedient care – reducing the pressures on general practice and urgent care colleagues and systems.
Conditions may include (but are not limited to):
The service includes the assessment and treatment of acute common clinical conditions which are within the competencies of the PIP providing the service. Prescribing under the Pharmacy First Plus service should always be in line with the NHS Fife Formulary.
More detailed information can be found in the related circular PCA(P) (2020) 16 from the Scottish Government.
You have to be an independent prescriber (IP) before being able to provide the Pharmacy First Plus Common Clinical Conditions Service. For more information on NES funded Independent Prescribing Courses 2022/23 follow this link. You can, of course, apply and fund your IP course directly with the university of your choice.
Before applying for an IP course it is important that you have a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) that can support you in a supervisory capacity. More information of what being a DMP or a DPP involves can be found on the associated NES Turas website [n.b will require Turas login] or in the RGU Handbook for DPPs. It is the applicants responsibility to source a DMP/DPP that has been qualified as a prescriber for 3 or more years, but if you are having difficulty pleas get in touch with your pharmacy champion who can relay this to the board.
If you're already a community pharmacist Independent Prescriber (CPIP) and you want to register your premises to offer the Pharmacy First Plus - CCC service then complete this Service Learning Requirements form for each CPIP at your premises and return it to fife.fifepharmacycommpharm@nhs.scot