UK
Clinical Pharmacy
Association
UK
Clinical Pharmacy
Association
The NHS continues to face a significant workforce challenge. GP numbers remain under pressure while patient demand and access to services continues to rise. Against this backdrop, prescribing pharmacists have become central to national workforce policy. With all newly qualified pharmacists set to register as prescribers from 2026, the question is no longer whether pharmacists can help fill the gap, but how the NHS can maximise their role in all settings.
Although the NHS workforce is growing, the number of fully qualified GPs in the UK has declined over the last decade, according to data from the British Medical Association . There were the equivalent of 1,086 fewer fully qualified full-time GPs employed by general practices in July 2025 (latest data) than there were in September 2015, despite a 17% rise in patient demand over the same period. As a result, ensuring all patients are prescribed the correct treatments in a timely manner has become a growing challenge – one that pharmacists with prescribing abilities can help to counter.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (2023) identified pharmacists as key to bridging these gaps, particularly in primary care and medicines optimisation.
The NHS Long Term Plan (2019) signalled the start of embedding pharmacists into GP practices and primary care networks. This trajectory has accelerated through the publication of the Health Education England review, Advancing Pharmacy Education and Training (2020), the Pharmacy First initiative, launched by NHS England in 2024, and the NHS 10-Year Health Plan for England, published in 2025.
The 10-Year Health Plan places pharmacy at the heart of neighbourhood health services—community-based hubs open for extended hours, where pharmacists collaborate with GPs, nurses, and social care professionals.
“Pharmacies will evolve into clinical neighbourhood hubs, managing long-term conditions, vaccinations, and prevention.” – NHS 10-Year Health Plan for England (2025)
The role of pharmacists as prescribers has evolved significantly over the last two decades, following the introduction of the supplementary prescribing qualification for pharmacists in 2003. This enabled pharmacists to prescribe specific medications for patients in accordance with a clinical management plan, following initial diagnosis by an independent medical prescriber and with the patient’s agreement.
In 2006, the independent prescribing qualification for pharmacists was introduced, allowing pharmacists to prescribe autonomously for any condition within their clinical competence.
A desire to deliver high-quality, patient-focused care was the driving factor behind this change. In the years since, there has been an increase in the number of pharmacists qualifying as independent prescribers—a particular surge was seen after pharmacists became embedded in GP practices and Primacy Care Networks (PCNs) following a 2015 pilot scheme.
At the start of 2021, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) announced changes to the format and terminology associated with the pharmacist pre-registration training year. The new ‘foundation’ training year and associated learning outcomes were launched for the intake of trainee pharmacists from 2021. One of the key changes was the proposed incorporation of prescribing into these training years. As of 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will have the ability to prescribe medication to patients, helping to reduce GPs’ workloads.
The NHS’s Pharmacy First service launched on 31 January 2024, enabling qualified community pharmacists to assess common conditions and provide urgent repeat medication prescriptions, without GP involvement. This has been instrumental in filling gaps in the workforce, easing doctors’ workloads, allowing them to focus more of their time on complex cases.
Under the Pharmacy First scheme, community pharmacists can help patients access medication without needing to see their GP for 7 common conditions:
At the same time, growing prevalence of independent prescribing has helped to re-design NHS services, providing patients with quicker, more efficient access to medications. It has also improved patient safety, upskilled the pharmacy workforce, and provided greater job satisfaction.
As of August 2022, The Pharmaceutical Journal reported that there were almost 15,000 independent prescribing pharmacists registered with the GPhC, marking an increase of 66% over a two-year period (14,635 vs 8,806). With more pharmacists qualifying with prescribing responsibilities every year, this number is only set to increase further, providing the workforce support it was hoped this role would facilitate.
The 10-Year Health Plan for England (2025) builds on this by expanding services to include hypertension, cholesterol, obesity management, vaccination delivery (such as the HPV vaccination from 2026), and integration with the Single Patient Record.
Evidence from hospital, primary care and community pharmacy demonstrates that prescribing pharmacists are able to impact patient care in different ways, such as:
The University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust surveyed 15 pharmacist independent prescribers and a number of non-prescribers to explore their views on pharmacy prescribing. Around half of the independent prescribers questioned had prescribing responsibilities at the time of the survey, with some working independently in clinics to prescribe medications to patients.
Prescribing pharmacists described feeling confident with their responsibilities, and perceived competence was deemed high. Multiple respondents were regularly prescribing high-risk medications, including complex medication regimens such as chemotherapy, immunosuppression, controlled drugs, or critical care medications.
According to the study conducted by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, there were mixed feelings from existing pharmacist prescribers on these responsibilities being extended to newly qualified pharmacists. While the majority of survey respondents felt this was a positive step, many felt supervision would be essential, alongside a strong framework. However, some pharmacy prescribers expressed concerns that they’d be ‘left behind’ professionally if they didn’t have a prescribing qualification.
A total of 86% of those surveyed said they’d like to become a prescriber in the future, with almost half stating that they’d already discussed the option of independent prescribing with their line managers. Several existing prescribers suggested that a support forum where pharmacists with prescribing powers could share experiences and learn from each other would be a step in the right direction for the future.
Some were concerned about funding and a potential lack of support, but 54% were confident they’d be able to find a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) to facilitate their training. However, 44% felt a Designated Medical Practitioner (DMP) would be more appropriate. Three-quarters of those surveyed said they’d be especially interested in doing a prescribing course that included teaching around health assessment.
While prescribing pharmacists are essential to NHS reform, several challenges remain. Ensuring robust supervision and governance for newly qualified prescribers is critical to safe practice, yet uncertainty persists around funding, as the ambitions set out in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan currently outpace clearly defined financial support and hinge on the awaited implementation plan. Furthermore, there is significant variation in how prescribing pharmacists are utilised across regions and care settings, with community pharmacy in particular still representing an underused healthcare resource. Alongside these structural issues, workforce wellbeing must also be safeguarded, as pharmacists balance expanding responsibilities with the need for sustainable working conditions.
Adding to this landscape is the digital and AI dimension. The NHS 10-Year Health Plan commits to a digital revolution, including an expanded NHS app that will support bookings, prescriptions, and AI-assisted triage. By 2028, pharmacists are expected to benefit from fully integrated patient records, enhancing continuity of care and access to information. In addition, AI-enabled prescribing and administration support will be introduced, helping to free up capacity for pharmacists to focus more on clinical care.
For existing practicing pharmacists to be able to prescribe, individuals must complete a GPhC-accredited course in independent prescribing. In order to be eligible for one of these courses, applicants must:
All pharmacists qualifying from 2026 onwards will automatically be independent prescribers, which will transform the workforce further. The majority of the pharmacists surveyed by the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust welcomed this change as a positive step forward. By 2030, pharmacists will be embedded across neighbourhood health teams, managing acute and chronic conditions, vaccination, prevention, and medicines optimisation. By 2035, they will be standard prescribers across all NHS settings.
“Prescribing pharmacists are only part of the solution. Workforce redesign, funding, digital transformation, and strong professional frameworks will be essential to ensure their role delivers the ambitious reforms of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan.” Zoe Girdis, Head of Education at UKCPA and experienced pharmacist prescriber.
As the pharmacist role continues to evolve, joining UKCPA provides you with access to support forums, ongoing expert-led education and training, and a calendar of networking events, all for less than £3 a week. Become a member now.
This article is based on an original piece by Kiran Channa, Associate Director of Pharmacy Clinical Services at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, co-written alongside Amandeep Kaur, Senior Pharmacist (Renal), Virginia Simkin, Senior Pharmacist (Aseptic Services), Jaime Miks, Senior Pharmacist (Teacher Practitioner), and Aaron Teoh, Specialist Pharmacist (Oncology).
Additional input by Zoe Girdis, MPharm, IPP, Head of Education at UKCPA.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. The article does not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the UKCPA or its members. We encourage readers to follow links and references to primary research papers and guidance.
Join UKCPA for less than £3 a week and access all our communities, education and resources.
