Thank you for your request for information about the following:

'I have been looking at NHSBSA data on the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) displayed on the pharmdata website: https://www.pharmdata.co.uk/cpcs.php

There is one pharmacy with an anomalous number of CPCS referrals - Optipharm Pharmacy (owned by Medicine Box (London) Ltd).

In June they logged 15,767 CPCS referrals, over six times as many as the second-placed pharmacy. This high rate of referrals has been a feature of the pharmacy for a few months. At £14 per referral, this would net them over £220,000 in June alone.

The most recent nation-wide data from NHSBSA also on pharmdata says that 167,000 CPCS referrals were paid by NHSE in June - Optipharm would account for just under a tenth of all referrals.

I was hoping you might be able to confirm the veracity of the Optipharm data with me.

If possible, might you be able to provide further information on Optipharm Pharmacy, including:

The total paid to Optipharm per month

The GP practices that are the source of the referrals

A breakdown of the conditions that the patients referred to Optipharm had

I appreciate that some of this information might be difficult to access and may require an FOI, but I would be immensely grateful if you could assist me with the information that is available, and point me to that which would require an FOI.'

[On 25 October 2023 we requested the following clarification]

'Could you please clarify the time frame for the required data? We have run the data from October 2022 to August 2023, can you please confirm that this time frame is acceptable? If not, please confirm the time frame you require.'

[On 31 October 2023 you clarified your request as follows]

'That timeframe would be perfect, thank you!’

Your request was received on 4 October 2023, with clarification received on 31 October 2023, and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Response

A copy of the information is attached.

Question 3

Please note, no data is captured on the prescription form about the clinical indication for which a prescription is intended, therefore we are unable to provide a breakdown of the conditions that patients referred to Optipharm had as this information is not held by NHSBSA.

Data Queries

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data please contact foidata@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement:

“NHSBSA Copyright 2023” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

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