A package of regulatory changes has been laid before Parliament to support implementation of prescribing within NHS pharmacy services, closures for learning and development and more from 1 October 2026.
The amendments are set out in The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026 and reflect a number of changes agreed as part of the 2026/27 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) settlement.
For pharmacy owners, some of the most significant changes are new conditions outlining the scenarios in which independent prescribers can prescribe as part of NHS services, and the introduction of provisions allowing pharmacies to close for up to four hours each month for learning and development activities, subject to certain conditions.
The regulations also formalise the requirement for patients to provide explicit consent before a patient’s nomination is changed on their NHS record.
There were reports of unscrupulous tech firms misusing the automatic renomination process in the electronic prescription service (EPS) to limit patients' choices.
From January 2027, professional staff and locums (pharmacists and pharmacy technicians) should hold an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate.
As part of the CPCF negotiations it was agreed that all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will be expected to have an enhanced DBS check to support the safe provision of clinical services.
Community Pharmacy England (CPE) successfully pushed for closures to support staff training and ensuring patient consent for EPS nomination changes to give the sector parity with other parts of the NHS.
