Gisela Abbam, Chair of the GPhC, said:
“Pharmacy will have an integral role to play in delivering this ambitious 10-year plan to improve the health of people across England.
“Pharmacy in all healthcare settings - from community to primary to hospital care - is critical to improving patient outcomes and meeting the needs of their local communities. Pharmacy teams working in community pharmacies are already successfully expanding access to NHS care in the heart of communities, through initiatives like Pharmacy First. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are also providing high-quality services in hospitals and in primary care that support people to get the best from their medicines and help to prevent ill-health.
“We would urge the UK Government to make sure that pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies are closely involved in developing and delivering the plans around the Neighbourhood Health Service, so their expertise can be used to help achieve this significant shift in how healthcare is delivered.
“This plan comes at a time when pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are facing significant challenges. Pharmacy needs to be put on a resilient and stable footing for the future for this plan to succeed. We welcome the steps the Government has taken so far and we hope the ongoing support and investment needed to enable the pharmacy workforce to fulfil their increasing roles will be reflected in the upcoming workforce plan.
“As the pharmacy regulator, we will empower pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to provide safe, effective and trusted care at the heart of their communities, and support them to take on changing roles, as outlined in our new strategic plan. This includes making major changes to the education and training of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, so they can meet the changing needs of patients and the NHS throughout their careers. An example of this is enabling newly-qualified pharmacists to prescribe medicines from when they join our register from 2026, to help improve people’s access to medicines and reduce pressure on other parts of primary care.
“We are also already reviewing our current process of revalidation, to identify how we can improve the current model to best support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to continuously develop and reflect on their practice.
“We strongly support the plan’s overall aims, including the commitment to tackling inequalities in people's health through fundamental reforms to our health system and putting more power in the hands of patients. The commitment to introducing a single patient record that can be accessed in all settings, including community pharmacy, will also enable pharmacy services to work more closely and effectively with other health services to deliver safe and effective care for patients.
“One of the key aims in our new strategic plan is to protect patients and the public, and enhance their safety and wellbeing, by working collaboratively with the governments in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as healthcare regulators and other organisations. We look forward to working closely with the UK Government to support the delivery of this bold plan to reform the NHS in England.”