Pharmacy First – Inappropriate Rejection of Referrals
We have had feedback from various LPCs investigating Pharmacy First data, advising that a there is a proportion of rejected referrals where a ‘minor illness’ consultation should have been recorded and claimed for.
Please be aware that if you receive a referral into the service and contact/assess the patient, you must process and claim for it if you are able to, including the below examples:
- There is a referral into the service as a clinical pathway but the patient is not eligible, or it is not one of the seven conditions - you are able to treat as a minor illness (some examples of rejected referrals include verruca and chickenpox).
- There is a referral into the service as a clinical pathway or minor illness, but on assessment you determine it is appropriate to refer on (non-urgent or urgent, for example to A&E or back to the GP) – you should record this outcome as part of a minor illness consultation.
This process ensures that GPs are advised of the outcomes and appropriate payments for the intervention are made – it is important to ensure all referrals are appropriately completed and claims submitted.