Pharmacy Collect: stock availability and out of stock poster (17th Dec)
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This morning the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) briefed PSNC on the latest situation regarding the availability of NHS Test and Trace Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) to pharmacies.
The unprecedented demand for test kits from people testing due to the Omicron variant, combined with precautionary testing before the Christmas period, continues, with over 11 million tests having been distributed this week to pharmacies, which has doubled from last week.
Unfortunately this continuing level of demand means the UKHSA has exceeded its stock allocation for LFDs to be supplied via pharmacies this week. This has meant the UKHSA could not deliver any further test kits to Alliance Healthcare distribution centres this morning and while there was a quantity of remaining stock at some of the distribution centres, which will be used to fulfil orders from pharmacies, most pharmacies will not receive a delivery of test kits today.
The UKHSA are working to arrange further deliveries of test kits to Alliance Healthcare over the next few days, so more stock will be available to distribute to pharmacies on Monday (20th December) and throughout the week, providing more than the normal weekly allocation of stock. In some cases the stock will be delivered by Parcelforce, where extra delivery capacity is required.
Stock will continue to be delivered as quickly as possible, often next day, but contractors are reminded that the service level agreement Alliance Healthcare have with the UKHSA stipulates delivery within three working days.
Any orders placed over the last two days (15th and 16th December) will be cancelled, with orders from today onwards being fulfilled as stock becomes available. The stock to be received by Alliance Healthcare will be one of the following two products, so contractors should check product availability of each product and order whichever is in stock at the time:
Product: DHSC INNOVA COVID-19 test kits PIP: 8943037
Product: DHSC ORIENT GENE test kits PIP: 8943995
There may be periods next week when the products appear out of stock, before more replenishment stock is received from the UKHSA; in that circumstance contractors should check back later in the day to see if more stock has become available to order.
Read more about the Pharmacy Collect service
Official ‘Out of Stock’ poster
At PSNC’s request, the UKHSA have issued a poster which pharmacies can print off and display when they are out of stock of test kits.
Download the LFD test kits out of stock poster (colour)
Download the LFD test kits out of stock poster (black and white)
Editable and A3 versions of the posters are available to download from the Campaigns Resources Centre.
Contractors are also reminded that NHS England and NHS Improvement recently issued materials to be used in all primary care locations to encourage people to show respect to staff.
Download the NHS Primary Care Staff Respect Materials
