The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) in partnership with Q and Thiscovery published a framework on Thursday (24) that calls for sustainable funding, joined-up IT systems, professional relationships and clear clinical governance to drive pharmacy prescribing services.
Creating the conditions for safe prescribing shows what needs to happen for pharmacist prescribing to expand safely, consistently and sustainably across the UK, it added.
Also Read: Expanding pharmacy prescribing without resources will not improve access to care: PDA
The framework will be launched with senior stakeholders across primary care and the NHS and it covers:
- Structural conditions like adequate funding and integrated IT
- Relationships, with GPs and community pharmacists working as a team
- Confidence, with patients trusting pharmacist prescribing as safe and familiar, and backed by outcome data
Pharmacist prescribing in Scotland, Wales and England has proved to be popular, safe and deliverable at scale. Around one quarter of pharmacies in Scotland were offering ‘Pharmacy First Plus’ via independent prescribing by the end of 2024.
Similar services offered across the UK would benefit millions of patients and free up capacity in hospitals, primary care and neighbourhoods.
It will also open potential long term developments, from treating common ailments to the management of long term conditions and optimising medicine use.
NPA Vice Chair, Sukhi Basra, said: “Pharmacist independent prescribing could be the most significant development in neighbourhood care in years – transforming how people experience healthcare.
“It offers potential for millions of people to have easier access to treatment, additional clinical capacity across the NHS and new opportunities for community pharmacists – benefits that are too important to leave to chance.
“We need to put in place a clear framework now to realise the huge benefits pharmacy prescribing can bring, in a way everyone can understand and get behind.”
Libby Keck, Assistant Director for Collaborative Improvement Services, Q, said: “Pharmacist independent prescribing has the potential to make treatment more accessible for millions of people.
“In any complex service change it is important to consider the conditions that need to be addressed if implementation is to be successful. This framework brings together the insights from patients, pharmacists and commissioners. It provides a robust understanding of the structural, relational and confidence factors that will allow it to succeed.
“We hope this framework gives leaders a practical and evidence-informed tool to effectively shape future community pharmacy prescribing, with patients at the heart."
Lorna Jacobs, Communities and Insights Lead at Thiscovery said: “This has been a genuine team effort with the NPA and Q, and it’s been a privilege for Thiscovery to give community pharmacists, other professionals and patients a voice in shaping this framework.
"We’re proud that their insights will help guide the safe, sustainable expansion of pharmacy prescribing across the UK.”
