The Wellbeing of Pharmacy Teams
Published: 13/12/21

Our colleagues at NES have asked us to pass on the following message to contractors who are currently supporting Foundation Year (previously pre-reg) trainees.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Dear Colleagues
Every pharmacy team, regardless of sector, has played a vital role in the NHS response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To each of you, you have our admiration and sincere thanks.
We also recognise that all of your efforts in ensuring that patients and members of the public are receiving the best pharmaceutical care available irrespective of the setting, may mean you feel exhausted.
As we head into the Winter season it is critical that every member of the pharmacy team ensures they look after themselves, consider their own health and wellbeing and of those around them. And this is why we are writing to you.
To support you, along with the wider health and care sector, there are a range of resources available through the NHS Scotland National Wellbeing Hub (www.wellbeinghub.scot).
The National Wellbeing Hub is for all members of the pharmacy team, working in all settings and we encourage you to make use of this resource as necessary, and for employers to support their teams in its use.
What is the National Wellbeing Hub?
The National Wellbeing Hub is first and foremost completely free and entirely confidential. It can be accessed when you need it, at a time that suits you, has no links to your organisation and does not require any referral or input from them.
NHS Scotland’s National Wellbeing Hub provides access to information, resources and support for all health and care workers in Scotland. The resources and toolkits provided by the National Wellbeing Hub are evidence-based services that support the psychological wellbeing of people working in health and care.
Additional resourcing has been secured through the NHS Recovery Plan which will further support the 24/7 National Wellbeing Helpline, our National Wellbeing Hub, and Coaching for Wellbeing which are already available for all members of the pharmacy team; alongside tailored psychological interventions for staff, providing individualised wellbeing support focusing on people’s physical and emotional needs.
There is also the Workforce Specialist Service for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, which is a confidential multidisciplinary mental health service with expertise in treating health and social services regulated professionals. The Scottish Government worked alongside the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to develop the service specifically for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The National Wellbeing Hub and the support it can provide is there for you to access and use.
We would urge anyone in any pharmacy team who feels they need assistance or advice to feel confident to seek the support they need and we would encourage you to use the services offered by the National Wellbeing Hub. Thank you once again for all of your efforts and dedication during these unprecedented times.
This week’s MCR Ready Reckoner has been updated and is now available to download or you can view it via the App.
We can now confirm that Pharmacy Technicians will be included under the updated definition of ‘regulated roles’ and will therefore require PVG Scheme membership from 1st April 2025.
Yesterday (14 May 2025), Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) welcomed members to the first Council session of the 2025 - 2028 term.
Your next courier collection is scheduled for Thursday, May 22nd, 2025. We have produced the following guidelines for your prescription bag submissions.
The First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, announced this week the Programme for Government for 2025/26. He stated that "this programme is focused on delivery and hope. Delivery in response to the challenges we know people are facing in their everyday lives.
This Circular advises community pharmacy contractors that the four UK-wide Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) for Estradot® (estradiol) transdermal patches, a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) product, due to expire on 2 May 2025 have been extended.
The current Public Health Scotland poster campaign topic is Lyme Disease. The campaign aims to increase awareness of Lyme disease; how it is transmitted (via ticks) and vital signs and symptoms to look out for. Posters should be displayed within your pharmacy.
This article includes guidance around the process of submitting claims for the generic version of Varenicline. This applies to dispensing against prescriptions and the use of the newly re-launched PGD.
As a part of our work with the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland, we regularly raise lines of concern and work to secure adjusted prices for these.
Your next courier collection is scheduled for Thursday, May 8th, 2025. We have produced the following guidelines for your prescription bag submissions.
The NHS circular PCA(P)(2025)08 informs NHS Boards and community pharmacy contractors of new arrangements in place for the procurement and reimbursement of Paxlovid® (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir).
Check out our Policy & PR Pharmacist, Sarah Scott, speaking to BBC Radio Scotland this morning about how people can manage insect bites and associated symptoms and how to access expert support through NHS Pharmacy First Scotland.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced draft legislation has been laid out, with a view to the legislation coming into force for Hub and Spoke dispensing between different community pharmacy legal entities in October 2025 (The Human Medicines (Amendments Relating to Hub and Spoke Dispensing etc.) Regulations 2025).
The Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) Board has accepted the Scottish Government’s financial offer detailing the initial focus on the reimbursement arrangements within the community pharmacy funding envelope for the financial year 2025/26.
This circular sets out to community pharmacy contractors and Health Boards the details of the reimbursement arrangements as part of the community pharmacy funding settlement for 2025/26.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is consulting on proposals to increase registration fees for Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, and Pharmacy premises over a two year period.
Due to ongoing discussions with PHS the final round of Adjusted Prices for April are likely to be agreed and published on Thursday 1st May 2025. This will result in the May Part 7 file being agreed and published slightly later than the 1st of May.
The CPS 2025 Election has now concluded. We’d like to thank everyone who got involved. We have some new faces and some familiar ones. We’d like to take this opportunity to welcome our new CPS Board for 2025 - 2028.
This week’s MCR Ready Reckoner has been updated and is now available to download or you can view it via the App.
Community Pharmacy Scotland was pleased to meet with Dame Jackie Baillie MSP on Tuesday at The Scottish Parliament to discuss the vital role of community pharmacy in Scotland's healthcare system.
Our colleagues at NSS have asked us to pass on the following message:
NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) are undertaking a tech refresh of the Patient Registration Service (PRS) to ensure continued support. As part of this process, NSS will need to schedule a PRS system downtime.
Here is a round-up of all the important news this week, including the latest events, webinars and Independent Prescribing news within Community Pharmacy for the 24th April 2025.
Our colleagues at Public Health Scotland (PHS) have asked us to share the following update regarding the COVID-19 spring vaccine poster for people with a weakened immune system.
Here is a round-up of all the important news this week, including the latest events, webinars and Independent Prescribing news within Community Pharmacy for the 17th April 2025.
This week The Scotsman newspaper revealed that Scotland is on course for the highest number of annual flu deaths in almost half a century after more than than 350,000 fewer vaccines were given this winter.
Development of a new CPS strategy is well underway, with a final draft soon to be sent to the CPS Board for review.
Robert Gordon University (RGU) have developed a qualification aimed at post-registration pharmacy technicians across the UK entitled: BSc (Hons) Clinical Practice for Pharmacy Technicians.
You will play a key part in leading the pharmacy team, working across the healthcare area and dispensary, to meet patients’ needs. Your focus each day will be to look after your team, deliver a great service to our patients, through managing the workload and people to deliver on the operational requirements of the position.

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The Chief Medical Officer has asked us to share the following advice with the network: Community pharmacists should not supply antiviral medicines in primary care on presentation of a GP10 prescription form.