NHSE has instructed integrated care boards (ICBs) to introduce prescribing services in pharmacies next year, its new planning framework for 2026/27 to 2028/29 has revealed.
In the framework published last week (October 24), NHSE said that ICBs “must introduce prescribing-based services into community pharmacies during 2026/27” to “support primary care access and increase the role of community pharmacy”.
Read more: Pharmacy First: NHSE admits it must ‘do more’ as campaign begins
It follows the government confirming in July that it is “committed” to launching prescribing services in community pharmacies after first pledging the idea in its election manifesto last year.
Pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock said at the time that the government is “committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and to better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians”.
“Embed Pharmacy First”
The NHSE framework also instructed ICBs to “embed pharmacy-first approaches” and ensure that “local commissioning discussions utilise available pharmacy capacity to support primary care pressures”.
And ICBs must “continue developing the relationships between general practice and community pharmacy” to “support access to pharmacy services”, it added.
The commissioner said that the NHS has made “some challenging delivery commitments” to be achieved between now and the end of 2028/29 - including plans to “maximise Pharmacy First and roll out new services”.
Read more: Sector ‘not ready’ for IP revolution, IPA board member warns
The framework also set out that ICBs must:
- Expand access to emergency contraception through community pharmacies
- Maximise use of the discharge medicines service (DMS) to reduce medicines harm and readmissions
- Make human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination available at pharmacies for those who missed out on vaccination at school
- Ensure all pharmacies have “fully enabled” prescription tracking for patients via the NHS App
- Ensure all “primary care services” enable online medicines requests and management for patients
- Transition all messaging to NHS Notify, with NHS App-based notifications as the default option
Read more: ‘Game-changer’: Boots sets out ‘ambition’ for IP in every store
And the planning document revealed that the transfer of commissioning responsibilities for vaccination and screening to ICBs will “likely” take place from April 2027 “subject to the passage of legislation” – a year later than previously announced.
It also said that NHSE will “enable community pharmacy to deliver vaccinations off-premises, where commissioned” subject to consultation on changes to regulations.
It comes after an NHSE official this month acknowledged that the body needs “to do more” to promote the Pharmacy First service.
Read more: ‘A lot of work’ needed on 10-year plan pharmacy role, NHSE admits
Speaking at the Pharmacy Show in Birmingham, NHSE pharmacy integration lead Kirsty Armstrong said that NHSE has “learned that the public don’t wholly understand everything pharmacy can do”.
She added that the body must “do more to raise public awareness because that will drive better delivery of services”.
Meanwhile, the British Medical Association (BMA) this month said that it will “continue to remind” GPs to signpost patients to pharmacies “when safe capacity is breached” amid controversy over GP attitudes to Pharmacy First.
