Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing a scheme for prescriptions to be supplied by pharmacists in England similar to Pharmacy First Scotland.

The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) was launched by NHS England and NHS Improvement in October 2019. As for Pharmacy First Scotland, the CPCS encourages patients who might otherwise go elsewhere to visit a community pharmacy first. Under the CPCS, patients referred from 111 phone or online and who have a minor illness or have run out of a repeat medicine and need an urgent supply, can have a consultation with a pharmacist. The pharmacist will provide self-care advice and support for the patient and/or carer and the subsequent supply of medicines. For the emergency supply of previously prescribed medicines, these are supplied free on the National Health Service, subject to the payment of a prescription charge, as appropriate. In keeping with general NHS prescribing policy in England, the supply of ‘over the counter’ medicines are paid for by the patient.