Understand the top 25 Pharmacy First rejected items, why claims fail, and how to ensure compliance with NHS Scotland requirements.

On behalf of NHS Health Boards, we are collecting suggestions for amendments to the Approved List from our members and their pharmacy teams, which can be for additions to the list, replacements or deletions.

The NHS Pharmacy First Scotland approved product list has been updated for January 2026. Key changes include eczema treatments and cough remedies.

If you are a CP Employee starting your CPS/NES Funded IP Course in Jan 2026 at RGU or Strathclyde University, please make sure you have completed and returned the form sent to you by CPS during December.

We are currently reviewing future budgets and training capacity requirements for CPS/NES Funded Employee CPIP Training. To do this, we need a clear picture of how many CP employees in the network have not yet completed their training.

We have put together the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the circularPCA P(2025)24.

Last Thursday the CPS team held a webinar which covered the recent changes to NHS Pharmacy First Scotland remuneration, and gave attendees the opportunity to ask questions of the team.

The attached document below is a series of key facts, guidance and information relating to the NHS Pharmacy First (Scotland) (PF(S)), the Scottish Community Pharmacy service for the pharmaceutical care of acute common clinical conditions.

Community Pharmacy Scotland will be hosting a webinar on Thursday 20 November at 7.00pm via Microsoft Teams, this webinar is for CPS contractor members and their teams.

The Scottish Government has released circular PCA(P)(2025)24 which details changes to the remuneration of all components of the NHS Pharmacy First (Scotland) service.

Pharmacy First Scotland product list updates on 1 September 2025. QV Skin Lotion removed from NHS Borders, Fife & Lothian emollient options.

This circular reminds community pharmacy contractors of the key service requirements for NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, highlighting the importance of face-to-face consultations, correct use of NHS branding, and adherence to national service guidelines.

Read Victoria’s incredible real-world story of how a routine consultation through the NHS Pharmacy First Plus service led to the urgent referral of a patient who was later diagnosed with leukaemia.

Check out our Policy & PR Pharmacist, Sarah Scott, speaking to BBC Radio Scotland this morning about how people can manage their hay fever symptoms and access expert support through NHS Pharmacy First Scotland.

The approved list of products for the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland Service has been updated from the 1st April 2025.

The Scottish Government has published its NHS Operational Improvement Plan, which describes how the commitments outlined in the First Minister’s January speech will be delivered. In his speech, First Minister John Swinney announced plans to make it easier for people to see a first point of contact with the NHS, for example a community pharmacist. The Operational Improvement Plan states that the Scottish Government will further expand the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service, enabling community pharmacists to treat a greater number of clinical conditions.

The approved list of products for the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland Service has been updated from the 1st March 2025.

Do you have questions about NHS Pharmacy First Scotland / NHS PFS Plus and or the UCF Module?

Our Policy and PR Pharmacist attended the Norsk Farmasoytisk Selskap Pharmacy Conference in Oslo last Thursday where she gave a presentation on NHS Pharmacy First Scotland.

Community Pharmacy Scotland has been made aware of confusion around some of the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service (PFS) Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Patient Group Direction (PGD) details. We thought it would be useful to clarify these points.