Pharmacy Contracts

Primary Care Pharmacy Contracts Team

Mailbox: ClinicalPCT@aapct.scot.nhs.uk

Interpretation Services (Language Line)

NHS AA provides a telephone interpreting service through Language Line, which community pharmacies can access. The contact number and the access code can be obtained by calling Anne or Carolyn.  There is no charge to the pharmacy for using this service and most languages are available.

Media Enquiries

If you are contacted by any media outlets for comments on any Community Pharmacy provided services, please refer all media enquiries to your Head Office, NHS A&A Communications Department (CommunicationXH@aapct.scot.nhs.uk) or Community Pharmacy Scotland.

Pharmaceutical Care Services Plan

This Pharmaceutical Care Services Plan compares current pharmaceutical care service provision to an assessment of what services the population needs, taking local sensitivities into account. Consideration is then given as how the identified shortfall might be addressed, including prioritised recommendations. The plan can be accessed here: NHS AA Pharmaceutical Services Care Plan 2021

Pharmacy Closures

If your pharmacy is experiencing difficulty securing pharmacist cover and may not be able to open, or opens late, or has to close for a period of time in an emergency situation, Pharmacy Contracts Team MUST be notified as soon as you become aware of any impending issue regarding opening. Details of closure should be communicated to Anne Shaw or Carolyn Dickson on the phone numbers above. In the unlikely event of no reply from either number please email: ClinicalPCT@aapct.scot.nhs.uk

Advance notification of any potential problems will allow us to notify relevant colleagues, including NHS24 and AUCS. Please ensure contact details are easily accessible for staff & locums.

Primary Care Pharmacy Application Information  

Information on all new applications for inclusion in the pharmaceutical list within the Ayrshire and Arran Health Board area can be found here: NHS AA Pharmacy Application Information

Public Holidays

The recognised NHS AA Public Holidays 2024/25 are:

• Monday 01 January 2024
• Tuesday 02 January 2024
• Friday 29 March  2024
• Monday 01 April 2024
• Monday 06 May 2024
• Monday 27 May 2024
• Friday 20  September 2024
• Monday 23 September 2024
• Wednesday 25 December 2024
• Thursday 26 December 2024
• Wednesday 01 January 2025
• Thursday 02 January 2025

Waste Collection: Patient Returned Medicines

Tradebe^® is the national contractor for collection of pharmaceutical waste (patient returned medicines). Pharmacy teams are reminded:

• Information on what should and what should not be put into the pharmaceutical waste bins can be found here: Pharmaceutical Waste
• All waste must be presented for collection, drivers collecting the waste will not help gather waste or empty bin holds.
• A member of staff will be required to sign the special waste consignment notes, this should be checked before signing to ensure the site details and waste description and quantity are correct.

If you have additional waste requiring uplift or are experiencing any difficulty with uplifts please contact Margaret Carey on 07885 482 798 or email details to: ClinicalPCT@aapct.scot.nhs.uk 

Waste Collection: Injecting Equipment Provision (IEP) Services

TradeBe^® will now schedule ‘on-demand’ collection of sharps waste alongside regular collections of pharmaceutical waste to reduce site visits. The process therefore going forward will be:

• Pharmacy requests an uplift of sharps waste by email to: ClinicalPCT@aapct.scot.nhs.uk (please give details of how many sharps containers require collection at that time)
• Primary Care will then submit a request to TradeBe^® for an ‘on-demand’ uplift of sharps waste from your pharmacy
• TradeBe^® will arrange collection at the same time as their agent is attending for routine collection of pharmaceutical waste.

Note: It takes time to arrange for the necessary permissions and approvals to collect sharps waste so there may be a delay between the ‘on-demand’ requests if the next scheduled collection is imminent.  

Please remember that the TradeBe^® driver will not supply replacement sharps containers – these should continue to be ordered using the normal process (ordered via fCOM)

If you have any issues with collection of sharps waste please contact Anne Shaw, Primary Care Manager: anne.shaw2@aapct.scot.nhs.uk