Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pharmacy Services

Tuesday 11 July 2023 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The range of NHS services available in pharmacies has expanded to include various new services.
  • The system for prescription item handling is being updated to allow pharmacists to focus more on clinical services.
  • The Government is investing 645 million to enable pharmacists to manage more common conditions, reducing waiting times.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Chris Green Con
NHS
Context

Progress on increasing services offered by community pharmacies.

Question

What recent progress has been made on increasing the range of services in pharmacies?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

We have already been growing the range of NHS services available in pharmacies: we have set up the community pharmacist consultation service, the discharge medicines service, the new medicine service, the blood pressure check service, smoking-cessation services and the contraception service. We are now investing £645 million to go further through the new Pharmacy First scheme for common conditions.

Answered
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Q2 Chris Green Con
NHS
Context

The inefficiencies in the current system for dispensing prescription items.

Question

Does my hon. Friend agree that the services offered by pharmacies can be made more efficient? For example, 62 million prescription items are subject to “split and snip” per year. Can this system not be better?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

My hon. Friend is completely correct. That is why at the end of last month we laid a statutory instrument before the House to fix the system, so that pharmacists can spend more time using their skills to provide high-end clinical services and less time snipping blister packs.

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Q3 John Cryer Lab
NHS
Context

Concern about the national shortage of GPs and potential risks in asking pharmacists to take on GP duties.

Question

Given the national shortage of GPs, does the Minister recognise that there is a potential danger in asking pharmacists to take on the duties of GPs—duties that they are not necessarily qualified to undertake?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

We absolutely recognise the need for patient safety, which is why there will be clear patient group directions and clear pathways about what pharmacists do. They are not taking on the role of GPs, but are providing additional services that will make things more convenient for all of our constituents.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics about ensuring pharmacists' qualifications to undertake new duties

How: Not Taking On The Role Of Gps

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Q4 Maria Miller Con
NHS
Context

Welcoming government investment and asking for more surgeries to involve pharmacists.

Question

I warmly welcome the Government's commitment to investing £645 million to enable pharmacists to provide for far more common conditions. Surely, more surgeries should be doing the same, involving pharmacists with enhanced roles in order to cut waiting times?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

My right hon. Friend is completely correct. That £645 million, of course, comes on top of the £100 million that we have already put in. We have grown the pharmacy workforce hugely—there are 82% more pharmacists now than in 2010—and we are also enabling those people with their high-end skills to do more by reforming regulations.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics about plans for increased pharmacist involvement in surgeries

How: Putting In £645 Million

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Q5 Gregory Campbell DUP East Londonderry
NHS
Context

A suggestion to liaise with local community pharmacy representative groups.

Question

Will the Minister undertake to liaise closely with local community pharmacy representative groups to ensure that the excellent work they have been doing can be maximised, particularly given that the NHS is under severe pressure at the moment?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

Absolutely, and I always try to learn lessons from right across the UK. Some of the ideas for reforms have come from listening to local partners. For example, our reforms to enable modern ways of working, hub-and-spoke dispensing and empowering pharmacy technicians have come from talking to those local partners.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment to regular liaison with representative groups

How: Learning Lessons From Right Across The Uk

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Q6 Karin Smyth Lab Bristol South
Context

Concern about high street pharmacy closures and supply issues, particularly for hormone replacement therapy.

Question

People rely on local pharmacies but face problems such as high street closures or supply issues. The Government have announced plans to expand the role of community pharmacies but failed to update legislation that could help. Why will they not do so?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

I have given a flavour of the four different reforms we are making. To give the wider picture, there are more pharmacies in England than there were in 2010, there are 24,000 more pharmacists and we are putting in £645 million to provide services not available under Labour.

Not addressed: Explanation for lack of legislative updates

How: Giving A Flavour Of Reforms, Putting In £645 Million

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