Pharmacies underutilised for advanced clinical services - Numark

Numark calls for expansion of advanced pharmacy clinical services in NHS 10-year plan

Numark has outlined key proposals in response to the NHS 10-year plan, advocating that community pharmacies must be recognised as “a vital part of an integrated primary care team.”

The organisation highlighted the importance of leveraging pharmacies for more advanced clinical services, expanding pharmacy team skill sets, and harnessing digital innovation to enhance outcomes and efficiency.

“Pharmacies already deliver essential services such as flu vaccinations, health checks, and repeat prescriptions but are often underutilised for more advanced clinical services,” it said in its submission.

“Pharmacies should completely manage, end to end, the repeat prescription process, deliver urgent care for minor ailments, and provide tailored prescribing.”

Numark strongly advocates for the expansion of Pharmacy First, vaccinations, and hypertension services.

It proposes allowing pharmacy technicians to administer NHS vaccinations without the requirement for an on-site vaccine-trained pharmacist, while also calling for supervision changes to enable pharmacy technicians to manage medicine supply and safely supervise other team members.

This move, according to Numark, would optimise team efficiency and enable pharmacists to focus on prescribing and advanced clinical roles.

Additionally, the organisation emphasises the need for establishing “a unified, shared care record system across primary and secondary care.”

“Pharmacists, GPs, and other clinicians must have real-time read and write access to patient records to ensure seamless care, reduce duplication, and support informed decision-making,” it said, stressing that existing barriers must be removed.

Numark also noted that leveraging technologies such as hub-and-spoke dispensing, barcode scanning, and AI tools for early detection of conditions can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and free pharmacists for clinical roles.

Chronic underfunding limiting the sector’s capacity

Numark urges the government to address the current underfunding crisis stating that “without sustainable funding, pharmacies cannot continue to deliver their current services, let alone meet the growing demands of the health system.”

“Chronic underfunding has created financial instability, limiting the ability to innovate and expand essential services.

“Readdressing funding models and introducing legislative changes will safeguard access to pharmaceutical care and enable pharmacies to meet future health demands,” it added.

Numark identified “fragmented” IT infrastructure as another big challenge in shifting more care from hospitals to communities.

“Inefficiencies in IT systems need to be addressed and enable pharmacies to participate fully in the digital healthcare ecosystem,” it stated.

To optimise the use of technology in health and care, Numark recommends that staff receive robust training to confidently use new tools, and that legislative changes be implemented to support emerging technologies such as AI and automation.

The organisation also highlighted that access to preventative services, including health checks, screenings, and vaccinations, is currently inconsistent, leading to disparities in early detection and creating a "postcode lottery" in service provision across the country.

“We need improved and expanded public engagement,” it said, urging the government to harness pharmacy expertise to deliver targeted health campaigns and early interventions.

“Pharmacies are ideally placed to provide accessible, affordable screenings for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, improving early detection rates.

“By empowering pharmacies to deliver prevention-focused services, the NHS can reduce long-term health costs and improve population health,” Numark added.

The organisation sees the government’s invitation to shape the NHS 10-Year Health Plan as an opportunity to ensure community pharmacy is fully integrated into primary care.