Services Database Community Pharmacy Emergency Supplies Service 2015-16 (East and North Hertfordshire Area)

The Community Pharmacy Emergency Supplies Service allows the emergency supply of a patient’s medicine at CCG expense for patients either self-referred or by NHS 111 into the service in order to reduce the number of patients contacting other providers. This service aimed to reduce the requests for urgent medicines to out of hours services, A & E services and also to in hours GP services, thereby decreasing the need for immediate clinician input for patients who have run out of their medicines. The service was restricted to prescription-only medicines and a supply of sufficient quantities for up to 7 days treatment can be made. Patients must be registered with a GP in East and North Hertfordshire. 

Patients were carefully interviewed by pharmacists to identify genuine and authentic urgent need. As part of the service, pharmacists were required to counsel patients on the most appropriate and efficient ways to obtain medicines in the future. 

This service was extended until the end of May 2016.

Please note, this service is now finished.

All participating pharmacies have received appropriate training emphasising that patients should not be encouraged to use this route as a default way to obtain medicines.