In a statement issued today (September 2), Andrew Carruthers, chair of the society's Scottish pharmacy board, said that the RPS "disagrees with stopping the recruitment of pharmacy professionals in GP practices, because we do not want to see restrictions on individuals’ career choices”.

On Tuesday (August 31), CPS called for a “temporary stop” to GP practice recruitment efforts in Scotland to prevent a further “workforce drain” in community pharmacy.

It also stressed that “appropriate workforce planning should be happening as a minimum at this time, with priority placed on roles that are critical to patient wellbeing and timely access to services”.

The RPS’s Mr Carruthers continued: "Many pharmacists have benefited and continue to benefit from working in multiple settings, and they should be supported to make choices that support their professional development aspirations.

“However, we do think it is essential that there is meaningful and robust pharmacy workforce planning in place that takes into account all sectors, skill mix requirements, and workforce changes resulting from new services and digital improvements,” he added.

A CPS spokesperson told C+D yesterday that it had raised its concerns about the workforce situation in community pharmacy with “all relevant stakeholders”.

This is “a complex overall challenge to the whole profession in Scotland, which will require a coordinated effort to address over a number of years”, they added.

Pharmacists were added to the government’s ‘shortage occupation list’ earlier this year.