The Medicines Use Review (MUR) service has now been decommissioned. Community pharmacy contractors are therefore reminded not to provide any more MURs.

Community pharmacy contractors were able to provide a total of 100 MURs in 2020/21 ahead of the service being decommissioned. Contractors are therefore reminded that if they did provide any MURs during the month of March 2021, the claim for MURs must be submitted by 5th April 2021 in accordance with the usual Drug Tariff claims process. Later claims will not be possible.

Other considerations

Contractors who have previously provided MURs will need to consider the following points now the service has been decommissioned:

• Practice leaflets – Practice leaflets will need to be updated to remove MURs from the list of services that the pharmacy provides; however, contractors are reminded that NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) will not take action against contractors who have not updated these during the period of the pandemic.
• MUR promotional materials – Promotional materials for MURs such as leaflets, posters, service ladders should be removed from public view to prevent any confusion about the availability of this service. If contractors have their own website, any information about MURs should also be removed.
• Updating the NHS website – PSNC has requested that MURs are removed centrally from the NHS website so contractors do not have to individually remove MURs from their NHS website profiles; we are still waiting for confirmation on if this will occur.* However, contractors must ensure they verify and, where necessary, update the information contained in their NHS website profile at least once each quarter of the financial year. The next quarter starts today (1st April to 30th June) therefore contractors could consider updating and verifying their profiles (and therefore remove MURs from their pharmacy profile as part of this process) in the coming days to meet this requirement.
• MUR records – Copies of records of MURs should be kept for at least two years after the date on which the MUR took place; this still applies even though the service has now been decommissioned.
• Reporting quarterly MUR figures – Quarterly reporting of MUR data has not been required during the pandemic therefore there is no need to report the final quarter of data to NHSE&I now the service has been decommissioned.

*On 13th April 2021, PSNC was advised that MURs have been removed centrally from the NHS website so contractors do not have to do this individually.