Thank you for contacting me about the support available to pharmacists.
I would like to acknowledge the valuable and skilled work undertaken by pharmacists throughout the country every day. Community pharmacies do much more than simply dispense medicine - they play a vital role in our communities, offering advice and care.
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the APPG on Pharmacy event in Parliament due to prior commitments. However, I do know that a renewed focus on prevention has resulted in pharmacists playing a greater role in the delivery of healthcare services. To ease pressures on GP practices, the Government has committed to expanding the range of services available from community pharmacies, freeing up time for GPs to support patients with more complex needs.
The Government is committed to giving pharmacists the powers to prescribe certain medications rather than requiring a GP prescription. This position was made clear in the Government's recently published Our Plan for Patients which stated that these measures are aimed at freeing up an estimated 2 million appointments. l note concerns that giving pharmacists the powers to prescribe medications could lead to antibiotic resistance. However, the Government is not making antibiotics available over the counter. The Government's proposals would allow pharmacists to prescribe antibiotics, without the advice of a doctor, to patients they believe are suffering from specific conditions.
Separately, the Government recently launched a consultation to inform the next stage of tackling antimicrobial resistance, including a new 5-year national action plan to protect patients from deadly infections. The consultation ended on 20 January 2023.
The Government is also committed to sustainably funding community pharmacies. The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework five-year deal commits £2.5 billion in each financial year between 2019 and 2024 for community pharmacies. On 22 September 2022, following discussions between the Department, NHS England and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, which represents pharmacy contractors in England, the Government announced an agreement for the remaining years of the Framework, including a one-off investment of £100 million.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Kind regards,
Graham