The oversupply of new pharmacists is a “huge opportunity” to relieve the pressures on GPs, NHS England's chief executive Simon Stevens has said.

The commissioning body would look at the possibility of moving newly-qualified pharmacists into “broader primary care teams” over the “next two to three years”, where they would help to reduce pressures on general practice, Mr Stevens said at event organised by think tank King’s Fund on Wednesday (February 18).

Mr Stevens said he had been "persuaded of the case" that pharmacists could make a difference in primary care teams, and this model could start “as early as the beginning of next year”.

“I don’t just mean community pharmacists doing the odd session for medication reviews. There’s a recognition that they could be taking on a wider range of roles and helping to relieve some of the pressures on GPs,” he said.

“Getting that right is one of our really interesting opportunities, so that’s a conversation we definitely want to be having,” he added.

NHS England unveiled plans for pharmacists to work in expanded GP practices last year, and Mr Stevens said the commissioning body needed to “broaden the general practice conversation” to include pharmacists and other primary healthcare professionals.

In January, health organisations told C+D that expanded practices were an “exciting opportunity” to give pharmacists a bigger role in the health service.