Community Pharmacy Derbyshire

24/03/2026

𝗖-𝟭𝟵 𝘃𝗮𝗰: 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝗚𝗗 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱

NHS England has authorised and published the patient group direction (PGD) for use in the Spring 2026 COVID-19 vaccination campaign. You can download the PGD here 🔗 https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/covid-19-vaccine-5-years-and-over-patient-group-direction/

The publication of the PGD follows the earlier publication of a guide to support vaccination sites that intend to participate in the spring programme.

The legislation which enabled the development of National Protocols for the administration of COVID-19 vaccine lapses on 31st March 2026, but the Government has consulted on the introduction of a new, similar legal mechanism for the administration of vaccines – the Vaccine Group Direction – which will continue to enable suitably trained and competent registered and non-registered staff to participate in the programme.

Subject to the passage of legislation through Parliament, the COVID-19 Vaccine Group Direction for the spring programme is expected to be published on 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.

𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
COVID-19 vaccinations will commence on 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 and will end on 𝟯𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.

𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
The national booking service and 119 telephone booking service will be open for the public to make bookings from 𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 to 𝟮𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.

𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗-𝟭𝟵 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻
Pharmacy owners who wish to provide COVID-19 vaccinations as part of the spring 2026 campaign but who have not yet registered to provide the service can still register by completing this electronic registration form 🔗 https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=slTDN7CF9UeyIge0jXdO4_ag3tZRpKxAnTfCqRlzbA5UNEtZTTZFUVFaU0daQTBEQ0hCNUZSSkdERi4u&route=shorturl

Pharmacy owners who register at this stage are not guaranteed to receive supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine for the start of the campaign.

The electronic registration form will be in place until 𝟯𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.

Further information on the service and guidance can be found on Community Pharmacy England's Seasonal Vaccination Services hub page here 🔗 https://cpe.org.uk/national-pharmacy-services/advanced-services/seasonal-vaccination-services-covid-19-and-adult-flu/

NHS England » COVID-19 vaccine (5 years and over) Patient Group Direction

20/03/2026

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 – 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆

A member of the committee for a year, Justin is an ex-independent contractor, he's currently a Regional Support Pharmacist for Peak Pharmacy. We caught up with Justin to find out more about how he got into Pharmacy and his invitation to open Freddie Mercury’s official birthday celebrations!

“Tibshelf born and bred, I got into Pharmacy aged 14 after applying for a job as a Saturday boy in our local chemist. I remember looking at the wall of medicines in the dispensary and wondering: “how does the pharmacist know what does what?” I fell in love with Pharmacy and vowed to open my own pharmacy one day.

“Fast forward a few years and I graduated in Pharmacy from De Montfort University and went on to complete my pre-reg at our local independent pharmacy in Tibshelf. I’d worked for the pharmacy for 10 years by this point and continued to manage it for a further five years after Well Pharmacy acquired it. The dream I nurtured as a 14-year-old finally came true in 2010 when I opened a 100-hour Pharmacy in Skegby and subsequently bought the nearby Boots Pharmacy to allow me to revert to a 40-hour contract.

“In 2022 I sold the business because of a desire to improve my work-life balance. Gilbody Pharmacy was a strong performing community pharmacy with up to 30,000 prescription items dispensed monthly, tons of services and a fantastic customer service reputation. My mantra for running your own pharmacy is: ‘look after the customer, and they’ll look after you’. Gilbody Pharmacy was testament to that and I’m proud to say that during my professional career, I've been named C&D’s MUR Champion 2007 and Gilbody Pharmacy won Independent Pharmacy of the Year 2021.

“During my time at Gilbody Pharmacy I also worked with a local GP surgery and ran medication clinics with specialist areas of interest in hypertension. I became an Independent Prescriber in 2016. Heading to Peak Pharmacy has been very rewarding so far as I’ve been able to use my IP qualification. Part of my role is to engage with Pharmacy teams to provide outstanding service delivery as well as working as the RP regularly. It’s a varied existence and I enjoy supporting our Pharmacies and teams to reach their maximum potential.

“Outside work, I'm married with four children and I’m a professional singer. ‘A Kinda Magic’ is my solo tribute act celebrating Freddie Mercury and Queen, and I perform with Queen tribute bands across Europe. I’ve performed to thousands in the last 20 years, but the highlight as a fan and collector of all things Freddie must be opening Freddie Mercury’s official birthday celebrations in Montreaux in 2025. It was an unbelievable experience!

“What’s more, I’m a football coach for an under 11 team, an elected District Councillor in Bolsover, Chair of the Parish Council in our village and a parent-governor at the local Primary school...No, I’m not sure when I eat, drink or sleep either!”

18/03/2026

𝗙𝗣𝟯𝟰𝗖 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿

With Good Friday (3rd April) bank holiday occurring in the first five days of April 2026, pharmacy owners will be afforded an extra day, 6th April, to submit their FP34C declaration using the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal. However, this year, the 6th April is also a bank holiday (Easter Monday) which means that the benefit of the extended submission deadline may be lost for many pharmacies closed during the Easter holidays. For example, pharmacies closed during the long Easter weekend may only have two days (1st or 2nd April) to submit their March 2026 declaration to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

Community Pharmacy England has provided advance notice to help pharmacy owners make arrangements to submit their March FP34C declarations by the 6th April to secure early advance payment on 10th April 2026.

Find out more on CPE's website via the link below ⬇️

🔗 https://cpe.org.uk/our-news/fp34c-and-prescription-bundle-submission-deadlines-over-easter

#𝗙𝗣𝟯𝟰𝗖

17/03/2026

Our March committee meeting is underway.

We have a full agenda including national and regional updates, services and communications updates and a development session so it's going to be another busy day. Oh, and it's great to have you back on the committee Andrea Smith!

16/03/2026

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 - 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿

Next up in our series of contractor support webinars with our colleagues at Community Pharmacy Nottinghamshire and Community Pharmacy Lincolnshire, we will look at how effective use of social media and similar advertising can ensure you maximise your NHS income.

The webinar is free and will take place on 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟳.𝟯𝟬 - 𝟴.𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺. You can book your place by scanning the QR code or using the link below ⬇️

🔗 https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=A282p8liL0W0VuuvgopLGRRxwEYGV35Evvhig_TFnTZUNEpIVDM3TEkzU0ZLRTRFN0ZBSFNVNjdVSi4u

13/03/2026

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱

Community Pharmacy England has extended the deadline to respond to the 2026 Pharmacy Pressures Survey to 𝟭𝟬𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹.

Take part today ⬇️
🔗 https://cpe.org.uk/our-news/pressures-survey-extended-were-awaiting-your-response/

The deadline to respond to the 2026 Pharmacy Pressures Survey has been extended to 10am on Monday 13th April. Our annual survey monitoring the health of the sector is waiting to hear from pharmacy owners and pharmacy team members like you. Your experiences of pressures such as rising costs and medi

12/03/2026

Our chair Ben Eaton attended his first Community Pharmacy England Forum of LPC Chairs yesterday and rubbed shoulders with some fantastic pharmacy colleagues and fellow chairs!

11/03/2026

𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁: 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘆

We're very grateful to Anne-Marie, chief officer for Community Pharmacy BLMK & Northants, for sharing this sore throat gateway graphic with us.

It explains that, for acute sore throat, Pharmacy First can now be claimable even when the outcome is self-care advice.

09/03/2026

𝗩𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲 💉

NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB is working in partnership with Primary Care, local VCSE organisations, communities and Healthwatch Derbyshire to improve vaccination programmes across the city and county.

There is ongoing work training local people in a public health qualification and, alongside VCSE partners, running events in their communities to start conversations about vaccinations.

Insight from this work, along with previous engagement, is being brought together to develop an action plan to support future planning across the system.

The ICB would like to hear from those involved in delivering these services. Your feedback will help shape future planning and improvements.

The following questions will take around 5–10 minutes to complete. Thank you for taking the time to share your valuable views.

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=DvfbhlZGGE-tMx65BEIAkBRo6wq3zW5Oo2-SL9epwj5UN0gxRDlUTTFEUFpSRDRTUVVFQjlTSlBRMC4u&route=shorturl

06/03/2026

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 – 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸

Quite possibly one of Community Pharmacy Derbyshire’s longest standing members, Darryl has been part of the committee for 25 years! He’s been treasurer for the last six years and is the fantastic host of our bi-monthly committee meetings at Peak Pharmacy HQ in Bolsover.

Over to you Darryl!

“When I completed my GCSEs, I didn’t know what I wanted to do career-wise. As such, when the opportunity arose to do some work experience at Etwall Pharmacy, I took it and really enjoyed it. It made me realise I wanted to work in pharmacy and help people.

“While studying for my A Levels, I worked as a waiter at the local Little Chef. Spending more time working than studying – I hate to admit that! – I didn’t do particularly well in my A Levels, so I was pleased to be offered a place at Sunderland Polytechnic to study Pharmacy. It was hard work, but I graduated with a 2:1 and I went on to complete my pre-reg with Lloyds in Castle Bromwich under the tutelage of Mr Welsby who was very strict and tore strips off you if you didn’t learn. Needless to say, I focused on learning!

“Remaining with Lloyds for 23 years, I worked in relief pharmacist roles in Birmingham, Derby, Nottingham and Mansfield. I then spent seven years with Dr Orchard at the Limes Medical Centre in Alfreton where I was privileged to be part of the LIFT project.

“In 2007, I moved into a professional development management role and worked as an Area Manager for several years. Winning Lloyds’ Area Manager of the Year 2009 was a real highlight. Then, in 2018, I took on the role of Head of Business Transformation at Peak Pharmacy.

“Working with the Peak team to open our purpose-built warehouse and head office on Buttermilk Lane in Bolsover was my key focus for the next few years. Starting with a blank sheet of paper, we designed the automation and integration systems for our pack-to-patient service and MDS. Everything was up and running by our deadline date of 22nd April 2024 – a truly exciting milestone for the business and very rewarding on a personal level.

Two years later and we are now packing and delivering 32,000 MDS trays per month and over 750,000 prescription items a month too via hub and spoke.

“When I’m not at work, I love spending time with my wife Laura (who I met through community pharmacy!) and our two children, Lottie and Louie and their noisy guinea pigs.”

05/03/2026

Since January, we've recorded a big increase in people using the search term 'sinusitis' and landing on our Pharmacy First Derbyshire website.

We know from last year's data that sinusitis is prevalent in the winter and spring months so please make sure you and your pharmacy teams can deal with patients presenting with symptoms of sinusitis. Let them know that they can have a free Pharmacy First consultation with you and that you can provide medication if required.

Use the graphic below on your social media or website to promote the service and highlight that sinusitis can be treated quickly and conveniently in your pharmacy without an appointment!

04/03/2026

⭐️ 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗛𝗦 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 ⭐️

Don't forget that all pharmacy contractors across Derbyshire are required to participate in a mandatory local health campaign promoting the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS) from 𝟮𝗻𝗱–𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.

The campaign forms part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework and requires full participation as it supports public health, raises awareness of the PCS, and contributes to meeting March 2026 bundling requirements for Pharmacy First.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
✅ Display contraception related materials in your pharmacy
✅ Sharing information via websites
✅ Post on your social media platforms such as Facebook
✅ Include messages in patient communications.

⭐️ Existing promotional resources already in use will count

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀
You must confirm your participation between 𝟭𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟯𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 via a web form using this link 🔗 https://forms.office.com/Pages/ShareFormPage.aspx....

𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀
Social media copy and assets to increase public awareness that pharmacies can provide oral emergency contraception for free, without seeing their GP can be accessed here 🔗 https://campaignresources.dhsc.gov.uk/.../emergency.../
Posters including the Contraception Service Poster and resources to promote PSCS can be downloaded via this link
🔗 https://www.england.nhs.uk/.../pharmacy.../resources/.
Printable posters and digital posters are available in different languages on Community Pharmacy England's website 🔗https://cpe.org.uk/.../pharmacy-contraception-service/