Pharmacy Briefing: Healthy Start in Norfolk
January 2016
Healthy Start is a national government scheme to improve the health of all women that are at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4 years old and receive benefits or on a low income. All pregnant women under 18 years also qualify for Healthy Start vouchers regardless of their income. Norfolk County Council (NCC) Public Health are now leading on the promotion of the Healthy Start scheme across Norfolk.
Why is it important?
Good nutrition in pregnancy can have immediate and long term positive health benefits for the mother and developing baby, and early year’s nutrition will support good health outcomes for children.These help address health inequalities and promote health in our most vulnerable families.Healthy Start provides an opportunity for health professionals to raise awareness on healthy eating, breastfeeding and vitamin supplements with pregnant women and their families.
Eligible women who have signed up to the scheme are sent vouchers to exchange for cow’s milk, fresh/frozen fruit and vegetables and first infant formula milk. They also receive additional vouchers that can be exchanged for:
- Women’s vitamins (contain Vitamin C, D and Folic Acid)- available from week 10 of pregnancy up to baby’s first birthday
- Children’s Vitamins (contain Vitamin A, C and D) – from ages 6 months to 4 years
The current 2015/16 figures show that 71.2% of eligible women in Norfolk have signed up to the Healthy Start scheme. The aim is for all eligible women to be signed up and receiving vouchers and so we must promote Healthy Start in all settings where our vulnerable families are likely to visit.
Pharmacies are a convenient setting to promote the Healthy Start scheme as many eligible families are already accessing their local pharmacies.NCC Public Health and Norfolk Local Pharmaceutical Committee are encouraging all pharmacies to support the scheme by becoming a vitamin distribution point.The new process within Norfolk will be that community pharmacies are the only suppliers of Healthy Start vitamins within the county. Children’s Centres will continue to promote the scheme and will signpost to their nearest vitamin distribution points but will no longer provide vitamins themselves.
What is involved in being a vitamin distribution point?
Becoming a Healthy Start vitamin distribution pointis a simple process which enables the pharmacy to order vitamins and exchange them for vouchers. The children’s vitamins are categorised as General Sale’s items and mother’s vitamins as food supplements.Therefore, there are no requirements for special controls or storage and the vitamins can be exchanged for vouchers by non-clinical staff.The pharmacy details are added to the Norfolk’s Living Well list of distribution pointsand onto the NHS Choices Healthy Start search facility pharmacy details can be promoted to both health professionals and the general public.
The process:
- Order and display Healthy Start resources such as posters and leaflets within the pharmacy. These are available to order from the Health Information Leaflet Service (HILS) brochure on the Norfolk’s Living Well website:
These will be delivered by courier to the pharmacy free of charge.
- Once the vitamins are received at the pharmacy, start exchanging for vouchers. Check the validity and type of voucher. The voucher will indicate whether it is to be exchanged for the women’s or children’s vitamins by an arrow and text. See illustration below.
- Keep hold of the redeemed vouchers and record the total amount of women’s vouchers and children’s vouchers the pharmacy has takenand email these quantities on a monthly basis . This will help us to identify the amount of women using their vouchers.
Please keep the vouchers for three months and then dispose of them appropriately.
Thank you to all pharmacies who are currently vitamin distribution points and that are promoting the scheme! Please ensure all staff are aware of the Healthy Start scheme and encourage eligible women to sign up with their Midwife or Health Visitor.
What are the other Healthy Start coupons?
Women also receive Healthy Start coupons for plain cow’s milk, infant formula milk, fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables. See illustration on the right. Only registered retailers can accept and claim payment for these coupons. To find out whether your pharmacy is registered to receive these coupons, please speak to your area manager. To find out what to do with these coupons once accepted, go on the retailers’ page on the Healthy Start website:
Any questions?
For more information about the Healthy Start Scheme visit:
Needing help with ordering vitamins? Contact the Health Information Leaflet Service on 01603 502749 or email . Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday, 8am until 1pm.
To discuss more about being a vitamin distribution point, please contact Sophie Giles at NCC Public Health on 07917599671 or email at