News » Dispensary guidance news, England » NHSE updates EPS nomination standards
May 11th 2026
NHS England has updated its standards for Electronic Prescription Service nomination.
In a statement, Community Pharmacy England says this follows "renewed scrutiny of nomination practices" and reinforces the principle that patients must be able to set or change their nomination freely, without pressure or unwanted intervention.
The four new standards for nomination are as follows:
There is also guidance for making complaints about nomination. Abuses of the guidance may include:
If the patient wishes to register a complaint, they should make that complaint to the pharmacy, DAC or GP practice that has caused their complaint directly.
Patients can also complain to the integrated care board (ICB) if their complaint cannot be resolved. Any healthcare provider in the area should be able to provide details of the local ICB if needed.
If a GP practice, pharmacy, or DAC wishes to make a complaint about another contractor, they should discuss with the relevant commissioning team in the ICB the most appropriate method for raising the complaint.
ICBs and the NHS have overall responsibility for monitoring nominations and ensuring that complaints are dealt with in a fair and equitable way.
Find your local integrated care board
Weekly EPS nomination statistics are available online, showing the total number of current active nominations for each registered contractor, and the weekly change. This information can be used to inform suspected nomination abuses.
