Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Wales rolls out pharmacy prescribing service

Wales has begun the rolled-out of a community pharmacy prescribing service as part of reforms agreed by the  Welsh health minister last December.

Eluned Morgan approved wide-ranging changes following re-negotiation of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework with Community Pharmacy Wales, the representative body for community pharmacies in Wales.


The roll out will allow appropriately trained community pharmacists to treat an extended range of conditions that currently require people to visit their GP.

Initially pharmacist prescribers will be able to prescribe medicines, including antibiotics for acute illnesses like urinary tract and upper respiratory tract infections, and also prescribe routine contraception.

The first of its kind in the UK, the service is being rolled out progressively across Wales, building on local schemes which are already in place.

Scotland has adopted a similar approach by launching 'Pharmacy Frist Plus', with England and Northern Ireland are lagging far behind.

"Our ‘new prescription’ for community pharmacy sets out a collaborative, innovative and progressive approach to the delivery of pharmaceutical care," Morgan said at the time approving the changes.

In addition to the reforms, the Welsh Government has provided funding for community pharmacies to implement innovative automated systems such as dispensing robots and 24x7 prescription collection points, aiming to make pharmacies more efficient and freeing them up to run clinical services.

More For You

GPhC should consider reduced fees for pharmacists non-practising practising, says RPS

RPS responds to GPhC consultation on draft changes to fees

gettyimages

RPS urges GPhC to reduce registration fees for non-practising pharmacists

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called on the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to reduce annual registration fees for non-practising pharmacists — such as those on parental leave or with a long-term illness — in response to the regulator’s consultation on proposed changes to fees.

The GPhC is proposing a 6% increase in annual registration fees from September 2025 to cover the rising operational costs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nick Kaye
Nick Kaye appointed as NPA's new chair
Nick Kaye appointed as NPA's new chair

Breaking news: NPA members advised against collective action

With the government’s recent announcement of increased funding to the sector signalling a ‘clear step forward’, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has today announced that it will not be recommending collective action to its members.

Last month, the department of health announced the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) with an increase in funding for 2024/25 of £106m to £2.7 billion and simultaneously a further increase to £3.1 billion for 25/26.

Keep ReadingShow less
Slamannan Village Pharmacy sold after 31 years

Slamannan Village Pharmacy

Slamannan Village Pharmacy sold after 31 years

A pharmacy in a small village in Scotland that has served its community for 31 years, has been bought by a group that operates 43 pharmacies across Scotland.

Slamannan Village Pharmacy is heavily relied on by locals sourcing their prescriptions from the village’s sole GP surgery.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kinnock highlights employers’ role in making community pharmacy jobs attractive

The new funding uplift our commitment to rebuilding the sector: Kinnock

Kinnock: ‘Employers have a key role in making community pharmacy jobs attractive’

Health minister Stephen Kinnock has emphasised that employers have a crucial role to play in retaining staff and making careers in community pharmacy more attractive.

His comments came in response to a written question from Victoria Collins MP, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for science and technology, who asked what steps the Department of Health and Social Care is taking to address staff shortages and prevent the closure of local pharmacies.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Pope Francis

Pope Francis at the Vatican on December 4, 2024.

Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj offers condolences to Catholic community following Pope Francis' passing

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader and president of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), has expressed heartfelt condolences to the Catholic community worldwide following the passing of Pope Francis on Monday.

In a formal letter addressed to the members of the Roman Catholic Church, Mahant Swami Maharaj conveyed the deep sorrow of the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu fellowship, acknowledging the Pope's passing as “a profound loss to the Catholic community and Christians around the world.”

Keep ReadingShow less