The ODS code is one of those details nobody thinks about until it changes. Then it touches almost everything. Prescriptions, payments, email, the NHS website listing and the systems your team logs into every morning all hang off it.
When you buy a pharmacy, there’s a good chance the code will change. This guide explains why, what has to happen around it and how to stop the switch disrupting patients. It’s focused on pharmacies in England.
What an ODS code is
ODS stands for Organisation Data Service. Every NHS pharmacy has a unique code that national systems use to identify it. You’ll often hear it called the F code, because pharmacy codes have usually started with F, or by older names like the OCS or NACS code.
The code appears at the top of the monthly payment schedule from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). It’s also what the Electronic Prescription Service uses to send prescriptions to the right place, and what patient nominations are attached to.
Pharmacies also sit under a parent organisation code, which groups branches that share an owner. That’s used for things like the Data Security and Protection Toolkit, where one submission can cover every pharmacy in the group.
When the ODS code changes on a sale
The code is tied to the contractor running the pharmacy at those premises. So whether it changes depends on how the sale is structured.
In an asset purchase, the legal identity of the contractor changes. That’s a change of ownership for NHS purposes, and in most cases the pharmacy gets a new ODS code from the commencement date.
In a share purchase, the company holding the contract stays the same. There’s usually no change of ownership and the ODS code normally stays put. You may still need to move the pharmacy to the right parent organisation code if it’s joining your group.
Relocations and some other changes can also trigger a new code. Community Pharmacy England notes that in some scenarios the code doesn’t need to change, so check with the contracting team rather than assuming. Our post on asset purchase vs share purchase covers the wider differences.
How you get the new code
The new code comes out of the NHS change of ownership process. Once the application is approved and you’ve returned the notice of commencement with an agreed start date, Primary Care Support England (PCSE) updates the pharmaceutical list. On or after the commencement date, PCSE issues a memo confirming the change and the new ODS code.
PCSE then tells NHSBSA, nearby pharmacies, the local pharmaceutical committee and others, including the controlled drugs accountable officer and the Directory of Services leads. If the ODS portal hasn’t updated, the ODS team can be contacted directly.
The NHS side has to be approved before the sale completes. Our guide to change of ownership and FTP applications explains that process.
What changes when the code changes
This is where the planning matters. A new ODS code means a long list of systems need updating. Some can be done ahead of time, others only once the code is live.
EPS nominations. Patient nominations are linked to the ODS code, not the building. They have to be moved across to the new code, and that’s done manually. Your PMR (patient medication record) supplier usually arranges it, and they should confirm in writing once all nominations have moved. Get this wrong and prescriptions can go missing in the first week.
EPS live status. Once your supplier switches your system to the new code, claim a prescription straight away. That first claim flags the code as EPS live on the NHSBSA system, which happens on the first Wednesday after the claim. The NHS website shows it the following Monday.
NHSmail. You’ll need a premises shared mailbox under the new code, with at least two staff linked to it. The NHSmail helpdesk can move users across if you give them the old and new codes. Share the new address with your integrated care board (ICB) contracting team and anyone else who emails the pharmacy.
Smartcards. Staff need the right roles assigned against the new code. Check with your local registration authority. Having two local sponsors in the pharmacy helps with cover for leave.
Manage Your Service. National services like Pharmacy First and the New Medicine Service are signed up for through Manage Your Service (MYS). All the services the pharmacy offered before should carry on, so register the new code and sign back up.
NHS website and Directory of Services. Register for NHS Profile Manager and check the pharmacy’s listing shows the right owner and details. Updates can take around 10 days to appear. Make sure the Directory of Services entry is right too, so NHS 111 and GP practices refer patients correctly.
Local services and platforms. Locally commissioned services often run through PharmOutcomes or similar platforms, which will need a new organisation set up.
Controlled drugs. If the pharmacy dispenses private controlled drug prescriptions, a new private CD contractor code may be needed. In some regions this takes up to four weeks.
Suppliers. Tell your PMR supplier and any other system suppliers. Wholesaler accounts can take two to six weeks to move, and some manufacturers need to see the signed GPhC change of ownership before setting up an account.
Timing the switch
Community Pharmacy England advises giving the ICB pharmacy contracting team at least one month’s notice of the change date, and expecting the full changeover to take at least a month. Nominations alone need that lead time, because they’re moved by hand.
A few things help. Agree the commencement date early and stick to it, since moving it means rearranging everything else. Speak to the PMR supplier as soon as the date is set. Avoid a commencement date close to month end or a bank holiday, when prescription volumes and claim deadlines add pressure. Ask for confirmations by email so you have a record if something goes wrong.
It’s worth telling patients too. Most won’t notice a code change, but a short note at the counter explaining that the pharmacy has a new owner and that their nominations are being moved saves a few anxious conversations.
The GPhC is separate
The ODS code is an NHS identifier. It has nothing to do with the GPhC premises registration, which needs its own notification within 28 days of the ownership change. Buyers sometimes assume one covers the other. It doesn’t. Our post on GPhC premises registration after a change of ownership explains the 28 day rule.
Getting the changeover right
Most of the problems with ODS changes come from late notice and things being missed off the list, rather than anything technical. A good checklist and a fixed date go a long way.
Healthcare Plus handles change of ownership and FTP applications for pharmacy buyers, so the NHS approval, the commencement date and the GPhC notification all line up. See our pharmacies for sale or contact us to talk through a purchase.
