Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the volume of advice given by community pharmacists to patients that is not covered by a commissioned services contract.

As part of the essential services within the National Health Service community pharmacy contractual framework, all community pharmacies are expected to provide advice in respect to dispensed medicines, support for self-care, prescription linked healthy life style advice and signposting to others where the pharmacy cannot itself provide support. The volume of advice given by community pharmacists to patients that is not covered by a commissioned services contract has not been assessed.