• Government freeing up pharmacist time so they can treat patients more
• Qualified pharmacy staff could get expanded roles to improve patient access and allow pharmacists to focus more on frontline care
• Move part of delivery drive of the 10 Year Health Plan, moving care closer to the community

Patients will benefit from better access to pharmacy services under new proposals set out by the government today.  

As part of the immediate work to start delivering the 10 Year Health Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care has published plans to modernise pharmacy supervision rules, to allow registered pharmacy technicians to take greater responsibility and enable pharmacists to focus more on frontline patient care. 

The changes, which have been welcomed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK and the General Pharmaceutical Council, will modernise pharmacy practice and make better use of the skills within pharmacy teams.

This will give pharmacies greater flexibility in how they deploy their staff, freeing up pharmacist time to deliver more clinical services and to help advise patients on prevention as well as sickness as part of the government’s Plan for Change while ensuring that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can work to the top of their profession. 

Minister Stephen Kinnock said:  

We have hit the ground running in delivering our 10 Year Health Plan, and this is another immediate and tangible change that will mean patients get better care closer to their home, while we also modernise the NHS.

Pharmacists will be able to spend more time providing clinical care, while qualified pharmacy technicians can take greater responsibility for routine tasks.  

This will improve patient experience and help avoid delays in accessing medicines when the pharmacist is not available.

These are simple, common-sense changes that will help pharmacies run better, saving staff and patient time.

The draft legislation follows extensive consultation with pharmacy professionals and stakeholders. It is expected to come into effect by the end of 2025 and the bulk of the measures will have a one-year transition period to allow for the development of professional standards and guidance. 

It will expand who can supervise the dispensing of medicines, empower the pharmacy workforce to deliver better care and unlock clinical expertise, so communities are served more effectively by their local pharmacy and delivering on the Plan for Change by improving care in the community and reducing pressure on the NHS.

This is another example of this government’s commitment to support the pharmacy sector – and builds on the package of recently enacted measures to dispense medicines more quickly and efficiently.

We have invested a record amount in the sector with the largest uplift in funding seen by community pharmacy for over a decade.  

These further measures will help transition community pharmacy from being largely focused on dispensing medicines to becoming integral to the Neighbourhood Health Service, supporting the shift from hospital to community set out in our 10 Year Heath Plan.