Chief pharmaceutical officer Keith Ridge has ruled out replicating Scotland's pharmacy strategy in England.

Dr Ridge praised the Scottish government's 10-year vision for the sector, which includes plans for pharmacy to assume a more clinical role.

But he warned that Scotland had a "very different" health system to England, as he cast doubts over recommendations for England to mirror parts of the Scottish model.

Scotland has a "very different" health system to England, said NHS England's chief pharmaceutical officer Keith Ridge	More on the future of pharmacy Too many pharmacies, says England's chief pharmacist Pharmacy must 'punch its weight', warns NHS policy expert Government will cut numbers if pharmacies don't up their services, PSNC warns
	Dr Ridge was speaking ahead of the launch of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) report on the future of pharmacy on Monday (November 4). The report suggested England could look to Scotland for direction and backed its national commissioning of minor ailments and public health services.

But Dr Ridge said that, although Scotland's example would "inform thinking" in NHS England, the two countries had different health policies. "[Scotland] is essentially a managed NHS, whereas in England we have a system that's about competition and choice between providers," he stressed, adding that comparisons between the two countries were "not entirely appropriate".

Dr Ridge did, however, voice support for the principles of the Scottish model, such as an increased role for pharmacists in care homes.

Judith Smith, director of policy at think-tank the Nuffield Trust and author of the RPS report, acknowledged that comparisons between the two health systems must be treated with caution. But Scotland demonstrated how pharmacists could move towards a role as "care givers" with the right opportunities, she argued.

"For me, one of the key differences with Scotland is they've had much more stability in health policy. They haven't had the serial reorganisations we've had," Dr Smith said. "I think that's been particularly difficult [in England] but I think there's something useful to be learned from Scotland, because it shows what's possible with some consistency."

The RPS report sets out key recommendations for pharmacists, leadership bodies, the government and commissioners in developing the future of pharmacy in England. These included strengthening pharmacy leadership, changing the national contract and using technology and staff to boost pharmacists' capacity for services. The report was presented to parliament on Tuesday (November 6).

In September the Scottish government outlined plans for the future of pharmacy, which advocated more independent prescribing, care home work and medicines management. Last month, two thirds of C+D readers said they would be keen for England to follow Scotland's strategy.