Tesco to join Community Pharmacy Future pilot scheme

Tesco will be one of the organisations participating in a newly-expanded version of the Community Pharmacy Future (CPF) programme's national services pilot phase.

Launched in September 2012, the CPF project has seen branches of the UK's four largest pharmacy multiples in the north-west of England trialling medicines support services for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease sufferers and older patients on multiple drugs.

Now, eight independents and three Tesco pharmacies will also be piloting the services from April 2013, following approval from local organisations in the Wirral, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan, reports Chemist and Druggist.

Alliance Boots' director of healthcare public affairs Tricia Kennerley said the services had been well-received in the branches already taking part.

She added: "The time is now right to bring other pharmacies into the pilots, so we can demonstrate that these services can be delivered across the whole of community pharmacy."

The CPF project is funded and piloted by Boots, the Co-operative Pharmacy, Lloydspharmacy and Rowlands, with the aim of showing how multiples and independents can work together to offer a wider range of healthcare services.