Prescribing within the CPCF

As part of negotiations on the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) arrangements for 2026/27, it was agreed that prescribing (independent prescribing) will be introduced into the CPCF as an extension of Pharmacy First and the Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS) from the Autumn of 2026.

Community pharmacist prescribers will be enabled to:

• Prescribe within the existing Pharmacy First clinical pathways, instead of using the PGDs.
• Prescribe within the Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS), instead of using the PGDs, with the ability to prescribe existing contraceptive products covered by the PGDs and some alternative contraceptive products.
• Provide five new Pharmacy First prescribing-only pathways. These consultations will count towards the monthly clinical pathways’ minimum activity requirement.
• ‘Prescription management’ i.e. prescribe an alternative item where there is a need to meet the needs of an individual patient, e.g. where there is a supply chain issue relating to the original prescription or a clinical error, and there are arrangements in place with the original prescriber to allow such an approach.

The five new Pharmacy First prescribing pathways are:

• Acute otitis externa – for adults aged 18 years and over
• Seasonal allergic rhinitis – for children aged 4-11 years
• Mild to moderate acne – for young people
• Migraine – low frequency, episodic, adults aged 18-64 years
• Mild skin and soft tissue infections and scabies

The CPE prescribing webpage contains all the latest information and updates and should be checked regularly to ensure you are kept up to date. See here.

Documentation Currently Available

The following documents are now available to access via the NHSBSA website:

• NHS Community Pharmacy Prescribing Specification Documentation (final draft)
• Prescription Management Guidance (final draft)
• Professional Assurance Framework for delivering NHS community pharmacy clinical services
• Onboarding Guidance for NHS Prescribing Community Pharmacy Sites and NHS Prescribing Community Pharmacists

The following documents are expected to be published shortly:

• Draft Pharmacy First Service Specification (updated)
• Draft Pharmacy Contraception Service Specification (updated)
• The five new Pharmacy First prescribing clinical pathways and associated guidance.
• Prescribing guidance related to the existing seven Pharmacy First clinical pathways and prescribing within the PCS.

Sign Up Process

The NHSBSA declaration process is now open, allowing pharmacy owners to submit a declaration of intent to become an NHS Prescribing Community Pharmacy Site. However, there is no obligation for contractors to submit a declaration at this stage. There is a significant amount of preparatory work to complete before signing up to provide prescribing services under the CPCF. (See the “preparations before completing the sign-up process” section on the CPE website here).

By submitting the sign-up form, contractors are confirming that all required preparatory work has been completed.

To sign up, you will need to complete the Prescribing Consultation Claims Declaration Form, which can be found on the NHSBSA website, to formally request authority to provide prescribing within the CPCF from your pharmacy premises. The completed form must be emailed to prescribingconsultationclaims@nhsbsa.nhs.uk.

Submission of this form does not itself confer approval to provide prescribing at the pharmacy; approval is subject to confirmation by the pharmacy’s ICB.

The form requests information on the pharmacist prescriber or prescribers who will be providing NHS prescribing consultations once the pharmacist/pharmacists and the pharmacy are authorised by the ICB.

It also includes a declaration that seeks confirmation from the pharmacy owner that certain pre-requisites to providing prescribing at the pharmacy are complete or true, such as the pharmacy owner having reviewed specified supporting documents related to the provision of prescribing within the CPCF (see further guidance on this in the “preparations before completing the sign-up process” section on the CPE website here).

Clinical Governance Requirements for Prescribing

The Professional assurance framework for delivering NHS community pharmacy clinical services applies to all CPCF clinical services and outlines best practice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians delivering NHS community pharmacy clinical services.  Pharmacy owners, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in community pharmacy should all read the Professional Assurance Framework to assess whether they comply with the best practice set out in the document and identify any gaps in compliance that they can work towards meeting in their professional practice.

Key Documents

• NHS Professional Assurance Framework – Community Pharmacy Clinical Services
• Prescribing Specification
• Prescription Management Guidance
• Commissioning Guidance for ICBs
• Onboarding Guidance
• Drug Tariff Part VIF – Prescribing Payment Criteria

CPWY Bulletin Series

Community Pharmacy Prescribing Event & Update: Preparing for Implementation in West Yorkshire

How Pharmacist Independent Prescribers (PIP) Can Start to Prepare for the Introduction of Prescribing within the CPCF

Bulletin 1 – Scope of Practice

Last Updated: 23rd October 2026