The community pharmacy pandemic delivery service in England has been extended for people who have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace. 

In a letter to contractors earlier this week (28 June), NHS England said the service will run from 1July to 30 September for people during their 10-day isolation period.  

The service continues not to be available to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), after shielding for that group of patients was paused back in spring.  

‘Pharmacies and dispensing doctors across England will be required to ensure those people who have been notified by NHS Test and Trace to self-isolate can receive their prescription medicines and appliances by home delivery during the 10-day self-isolation period, if they are unable to arrange for medicines to be picked up,’ the letter said.  

Eligible patients will be able to provide their self-isolation status with a unique NHS Test and Trace Account ID, which is an eight-character mix of letters and numbers, it also explained.  

If contractors receive requests for medicines deliveries from CEV patients, they must signpost them to the NHS Volunteer Responders programme if they do not know of anyone who can collect their medicines on their behalf, PSNC said in its update.

Community pharmacy contractors can claim payment for the delivery of medicines to clinically extremely vulnerable patients under the Community Pharmacy Home Delivery Service on the Manage Your Service (MYS) portal.