Pharmacy First data issues resolved, submission deadline extended

CPE urges the government and the NHS to prevent any further teething issues and provide pharmacies with the wider funding and support

Pharmacy owners were informed via email on Wednesday that data issues in the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal have been resolved, and they can submit their February Pharmacy First claims by 11.59 pm on Monday 25 March 2024.

Earlier, the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) had clarified that discrepancies in the figures for urgent medicine consultations were not caused by a flaw in the MYS system, but due to the data received from IT system suppliers.

In the latest email sent to pharmacy owners, the NHSBSA has confirmed that the IT system suppliers have resolved issues with the declaration data they supplied to the portal.

Those who still find their totals inaccurate are asked to contact NHSBSA immediately so that the problem can be investigated before the above deadline.

Pharmacy owners are being assured that the revised deadline will not have an impact on the payment schedule, and they will receive their compensation on 1st May as expected.

Later submissions will be accepted until 5 March 2024, but it will result in delayed payments. Any submissions made after three months will not be accepted, as announced by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England (CPE), acknowledged the significant stress pharmacy owners and their teams have faced over the past few weeks due to IT issues.

She said that the committee will be working with DHSC and NHSE to review data to understand “what impact there may have been on target consultations and wider confidence in the service.”

“We are also pressing for better programme management and stakeholder communications to ensure that contractors are not left in the dark to cope with IT issues when they impact their businesses,” she added.

Highlighting that Pharmacy First is critical for pharmacies, patients and the wider NHS, Morrison underscored the need for addressing teething issues and providing pharmacies with wider funding and support to ensure smooth implementation of the scheme.