Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken steps to provide funding to increase resources and training to strengthen the workforce of local pharmacies.

The Department is working with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) on pharmacists’ education and training reforms. The GPhC’s new initial education and training standards which will be implemented from September, will transform the education and training of pharmacists, so they are able to play a much greater role in providing clinical care to patients and the public.

Training is also available for specific new services that are introduced in community pharmacy. For example, NHS111 and general practitioners can refer patients to community pharmacies for urgent medicines supply and minor illnesses under the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service. Free training is available for pharmacists that have signed up for this service to learn and practise new skills and to gaining confidence in performing clinical examinations.