Government must seize landmark opportunity to harness pharmacist prescribing and transform primary care delivery
A new report by the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) calls on the Government and NHS England to commission and fund independent prescribing services across community pharmacies in England.
The CCA’s latest analysis, Introducing Independent Prescribing to Community Pharmacies in England, shows that expanding independent prescribing in community pharmacy could improve patient access to NHS care while also easing pressure on GPs and urgent care services. It was produced as part of a collaborative working project between the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), the The National Pharmacy Association (NPA), Gen X Media (trading as Pharmacy in Practice), and Pfizer.
From 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists in England will register as independent prescribers, creating a landmark opportunity to expand patient access to NHS care through community pharmacy.
Community pharmacies already provide frontline NHS urgent care through Pharmacy First, which has proved to be hugely successful. Between April 2024 and March 2025:
- 92% of community pharmacies delivered Pharmacy First consultations. [1]
- More than 2.5 million consultations were provided. [2]
However, Pharmacy First relies heavily on Patient Group Directions (PGDs), which restrict pharmacists to tightly defined treatment pathways. The CCA argues that independent prescribing would allow pharmacists to use their full clinical skills and resolve more patient needs.
The report highlights that commissioning independent prescribing could:
- Increase Pharmacy First consultations from around nine million[3] a year to as many as 40 million annually[4].
- Enable pharmacists to treat a wider range of conditions without unnecessary GP referrals.
- Improve access to diagnosis and treatment through local pharmacies.
- Free up NHS capacity for more complex care.
- Help reduce health inequalities by improving access to care in underserved communities.
- Support the Government’s ambition to shift more care into the community.
The report also warns that failing to commission independent prescribing at scale could worsen existing workforce pressures in community pharmacy.
Despite rising demand[5], workforce capacity in the sector has fallen since 2021:
- There has been a 7% decrease in full-time equivalent pharmacists.
- There has been a 32% reduction in pharmacy technicians.
- There has been 1% decrease in pharmacy support staff.
The report warns that without sufficient NHS-funded opportunities to prescribe, community pharmacy could become a less attractive sector for pharmacy professionals. This would restrict public access to NHS care at a time of growing need and, if unmet by community pharmacy, would only place additional pressure on the wider health system.
The Government and NHS England must commission and fund independent prescribing services in community pharmacy, supported by workforce planning, digital infrastructure and sustainable funding. This expansion would not only improve access to care for patients but provides a clear opportunity to reduce pressures on the NHS.
CCA Chief Executive, Malcolm Harrison, said:
“The Government must not miss this landmark opportunity to harness independent prescribing skills in community pharmacy.
Independent prescribing would allow pharmacists to manage more complex conditions, resolve more patient needs in a single consultation and reduce unnecessary pressure on GPs and urgent care services.
Without funded prescribing roles in community pharmacy, there is a real risk that pharmacists will leave the sector, undermining patient access to NHS care.”
The report, ‘Introducing Independent Prescribing to Community Pharmacies in England’ was developed as part of a collaborative working project between the CCA, NPA, Gen X Media (Pharmacy in Practice) and Pfizer UK. It was funded by Pfizer Ltd and is non-promotional. Pfizer reviewed the report for medical accuracy and to ensure compliance with regulations.
Hetal Naik, Primary Care Lead, Pfizer UK, said:
“This report makes an important contribution to the discussion on how we can better equip community pharmacy to meet growing patient need. Independent prescribing has the potential to strengthen access, improve convenience for patients and make fuller use of the clinical expertise available within community pharmacy. We are pleased to have supported this work and hope it helps inform constructive dialogue on how these capabilities can be commissioned and implemented at scale.”
Henry Gregg, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association said:
“This is a golden opportunity that should be grasped and the government cannot allow it to go to waste.
Prescribing absolutely cannot come at the expense of fully funding pharmacies for their dispensing work but without improved planning, there is a growing risk that newly qualified pharmacist prescribers will leave community pharmacy for hospitals or GP practices.
Prescribers in community pharmacy have enormous potential to enable care closer to home supporting implementation of the 10 Year Health Plan and the shift from hospital to community and drive fresh opportunities for pharmacies.
It is right that we use the skills of pharmacists fully in dispensing, managing repeat prescriptions and optimising medicines use.”
Johnathan Laird MPharm(IP) Chief Executive Officer of Pharmacy in Practice commented:
“We welcome this thorough and timely report. This is a pivotal moment for primary care in England. Community pharmacy teams are already one of the most accessible assets within the NHS, trusted by patients and embedded in local communities. By commissioning independent prescribing services at scale, the Government and NHS England can turn new clinical capability into real capacity for the health service.
This is about strengthening the whole primary care ecosystem so patients can receive timely, safe and convenient care closer to home. We thank the Government for their recent moves to further accelerate the development of digital interoperability which will enable pharmacy teams to capture and communicate the valuable work they do.
With sustainable funding, effective workforce planning and the right digital infrastructure, pharmacist prescribing can help reduce inequalities, ease pressure across the NHS and support a more modern, resilient and prevention-focused model of care.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Pharmacy First
Pharmacy First, launched in January 2024, enables community pharmacies to treat patients for seven common conditions following defined clinical pathways.
Patient Group Directions (PGDs)
A Patient Group Direction (PGD) is a legal framework that allows certain health professionals, including pharmacists, to supply prescription-only medicines to groups of patients without an individual prescription.
About the report
The report, ‘Introducing Independent Prescribing to Community Pharmacies in England’ was developed as part of a collaborative working project between the CCA, NPA, Gen X Media (Pharmacy in Practice) and Pfizer UK. It was funded by Pfizer Ltd and is non-promotional. Pfizer reviewed the report for medical accuracy and to ensure compliance with regulations.
About the CCA
[1] NHS Business Services Authority, “Dispensing contractors’ data,” June 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data/dispensingcontractorsdata. [Accessed April 2026].
[2] NHS Business Services Authority, “Dispensing contractors’ data,” June 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data/dispensingcontractorsdata. [Accessed April 2026].
[3] The Company Chemists’ Association, “The future of Pharmacy First – maximising patient benefit,” 2025. [Online] Available: https://thecca.org.uk/resource/the-future-of-pharmacyfirstmaximising-patient-benefit/.
[4] The Company Chemists’ Association, “The future of Pharmacy First – maximising patient benefit,” 2025. [Online] Available: https://thecca.org.uk/resource/the-future-of-pharmacyfirstmaximising-patient-benefit/.
[5] Community pharmacies dispensed nearly 1.2 billion NHS prescription items in 2024/25, which is a 14% increase since 2017/18. At the same time clinical service demand has surged. Patient clinical touchpoints delivered through pharmacies have increased by 240% since 2017/18, reaching more than 19 million interactions in 2024/25.