The Nuffield Trust’s latest report ‘Independent prescribing in the UK: Workforce ambitions and implementation challenges’ explores the current and future direction of the independent prescribing workforce in the UK health care system.
Speaking on the report, Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the Company Chemists’ Association said:
“The rollout of independent prescribing in community pharmacy will play a significant part in moving care from hospitals and into the community. This will improve access for patients and relieve pressure on other parts of the NHS.
The Nuffield Trust report rightly highlights several challenges the CCA have been raising for some time. At the core of the issues is the absence of a nationally NHS commissioned independent prescribing service in England. Without this, the full benefits of pharmacist prescribing cannot be fully realised.
An independent prescribing service would enable community pharmacy employers to develop their own network of prescribing practitioners, meaning they would be better placed to provide prescribing supervision to their own trainees, reducing their reliance on other parts of the system and create a more sustainable training model. An NHS commissioned independent prescribing service would also enable community pharmacy employers to develop their own network of prescribing practitioners, meaning they would be better placed to provide prescribing supervision to their own trainees, reducing their reliance on other parts of the system and create a more sustainable training model. A recent parliamentary question secured by the CCA confirmed that over 400 pharmacy graduates undertaking their foundation training this year still did not have an assigned Designated Prescribing Practitioner.1
Community pharmacists who are already independent prescribers would be able to use those skills to their full extent. This is essential if community pharmacy is to retain experienced prescribing pharmacists.”
References
1 – CCA, Over 400 pharmacy graduates do not have an assigned Designated Prescribing Practitioner, 27 February 2026