April 9th 2026

By Ailsa Colquhoun

Pharmacist prescribing offers faster access to care, report concludes

Public acceptance of independent prescribing is generally strong, as people see it as offering faster access to care, and to reduce inequalities.

A new Nuffield Trust report Independent prescribing in the UK: Workforce ambitions and implementation challenges notes that nine in 10 people in England in 2023 (89%) said they would feel comfortable being referred to a pharmacy to be treated for a minor illness such as earache, and being given antibiotics without needing to see a GP for a prescription first.

However, the new cohort of graduate independent pharmacist prescribers from September will create “unique challenges”, the report continues.  They will be relatively inexperienced in their chosen area of practice for prescribing. There will also be challenges with ensuring they have access to structured supervision. There has been limited consideration to aligning training with available supervisors.

Scotland and Wales also plan to have independent prescribers in every community pharmacy by 2030.  

In total, there are already nearly 100,000 independent prescribers in the UK, representing almost a quarter of the prescribing workforce as of the beginning of April 2025. Independent prescribers are envisaged to play an important role in shifting care from hospitals into community settings.  However, the report notes that pharmacists working in community pharmacy are least likely to be active prescribers and those working in general practice the most likely.