The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and NHS England have revealed more details on a national pilot that will see up to 250 pharmacists employed in GP practices.

NHS England programme director Ian Biggs joined RPS president Ash Soni and others last week to answer questions during a webinar on the pilot, which will install one senior pharmacist and five clinical pharmacists in pilot sites across England for three years. 

Here's the pick of what we learned.

1. NHS England want a “mix of proposals” for the different pilot sites

Mr Biggs told webinar attendees that NHS England wants "40 to 50" pilot sites, but the exact figure would depend on the proposals it receives from GP practices applying for the scheme. 

NHS England wants a "mix of proposals" that show how pharmacists will "solve a need" in the GP surgery, Mr Biggs said. The commissioning body will ensure "geographical spread" of pilot sites, he said.

2. Pharmacists from “all walks of life” should apply for the proposals

Heidi Wright, English practice and policy lead at the RPS, said the practice pharmacist role was not limited to one pharmacy sector, and was open to any “pharmacists who have the correct knowledge to do that role”. RPS president Ash Soni agreed that the only important factor was a pharmacist's “ability to do the job”.

Mr Biggs said that the one senior pharmacist at each pilot site – who will supervise five clinical pharmacists – needs to be an independent prescriber.

3. Practices need to consider prescriber training and costs

NHS England's £15 million funding for the scheme – which will pay 60% of the pharmacists' fees for the first year of the pilot, dropping to 20% in the final year – will only pay salary costs, Mr Biggs said

The money would not “top off the funding for prescriber training” that GPs may want pharmacists they employ to undertake, he said.

4. Other pharmacy staff are excluded from the pilot

Mr Biggs revealed that NHS England "debated" allowing the wider pharmacy team, including pharmacy technicians, to participate in the pilot, but eventually decided that it should be limited to pharmacists.

5. The project will be well underway at the start of 2016

Mr Biggs told the webinar that between 240 and 250 pharmacists will work in GP practices, with the exact figure depending on these pharmacists' salaries. 

"Most" of these pharmacists will be employed by January next year, he said. 

What other questions do you have about the practice pharmacy pilot?

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