Community Pharmacy Development Unit

1st Floor, 722 Prince of Wales Road

SHEFFIELD

S9 4EU

Telephone: 0114 305 1132

Fax: 0114 305 1387

Email:

Website:

26 March 2012

To: Sheffield Community Pharmacies

Dear Colleague

NEW MINOR AILMENTS SCHEME WEF 1 APRIL 2012

As advised recently by email and outlined at the Up-date Event last week, the Sheffield Minor Ailments Scheme is changing.

It was originally introduced in 2002 and has been well supported across the City but does not capture all of the information that Commissioners require in order to determine the value of the scheme and its place in meeting the needs of patients. Neither does it provide the pharmacist with a history of the patient’s previous use. The cost of this service is substantial and it is vital to ensure patients are not obtaining more medicines than they should by accessing the service at different pharmacies.

The New Minor Ailments Scheme has been introduced to capture high quality information and to empower the pharmacist to provide appropriate treatment, with access to pertinent patient history.

I enclosethe relevant support materials for you to operate the new scheme and ask you to read the new Service Specification in detailin order to commence provision during April 2012.

Please use the old on-line system to submit your March claim, by the usual cut off time to complete the year 2011/12.

I would draw your attention to particular revisions to the old scheme as follows:

  1. There is a new on-line, web-based registration process for all patients, using the current on-line claiming system, which will be operational from 1 April and must be used to register all activity – see Service Specification 4.1;
  2. Registration cards are enclosed to be issued to patients. Please attach a pharmacy label on the reverse to show the originator;

Chief Operating Officer: Ian Atkinson

NHS Sheffield is the Sheffield Primary Care Trust

  1. Consultations must be entered onto the on-line system to both generate a unique reference number for all new patients and to check previous activity for patients already registered, whilst maintaining patient confidentiality;
  2. The consultation details will include date, time, first initial only of patient’s first name, year of birth, registered GP practice; presenting condition; treatment offered (each from a drop down list to speed up the data entry);
  3. Consultations need to be recorded on line and on the new ‘blue’ form;
  4. ‘Blue’ forms (in pads) replacing the previous ‘green’ forms are enclosed, requiring patient details and their declaration on the front, with the back for completion by the pharmacist only. These must be retained for two years;
  5. The on-line data will automatically generate the claim for each month;
  6. The Formulary has been amended to be more in accordance with the Sheffield Formulary (NB ‘Cough’ has been removed and therefore Simple Linctus / Simple Linctus Paediatric) – please place a sticker over the MAS poster you have to cover this condition, posters are not being re-issued;
  7. TheService Specification now prohibits repeat consultation for the same condition more than once in a four week period;
  8. Revisedpayment per consultation (including all medicines): £7.00.

Please note that you will receive the Service Level Agreement incorporating your new cap under the revised scheme under separate cover, by recorded delivery. It is anticipated the changes to the scheme will reduce some activity in some pharmacies and the caps will reflect this estimation. The situation will be monitored in year.

Good luck with the new scheme – I hope it helps you to demonstrate how effective and efficient community pharmacy services can be for patients and for our future Commissioners.

Yours faithfully

Susie Coates

Pharmacy Development Manager

Encs:

  • New Service Specification
  • New ‘Blue’ forms (in pads) for patient exemption declaration and consultation details
  • Registration cards
  • New Patient Leaflets (to follow when received from Printer)

PLEASE ORDER FURTHER SUPPLIES FROM HELEN WRAGG WHEN REQUIRED:

Tel: 305 1137 /

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Further materials enclosed for general use:

  • In our on-going attempts to reduce waste medicines we are taking this opportunity to distribute materials previously issued, which you may wish to refresh and use to remind patients about the importance of considering carefully what they order.
  • A poster to highlight that abuse of NHS staff will not be tolerated.
  • A current list of staff within our Community Pharmacy Development Team – showing responsibilities and contact details – may I remind you to contact Helen Wragg for all stationery requirements.

Chief Operating Officer: Ian Atkinson

NHS Sheffield is the Sheffield Primary Care Trust