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Three pharmacies in Nottinghamshire and five in Lincolnshire taking part in the community pharmacy prescribing pathfinder programme have been funded to continue rolling out the pilot for another 12 months.

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire integrated care board (ICB) said Brinsley Pharmacy in Brynsmoor Road, Evans Pharmacy in Kirkgate and Evans Pharmacy in Gotham Road will offer over 1,000 patient appointments and provide 30 NHS consultations a month until March 31, 2027.

Lincolnshire ICB told Independent Community Pharmacist the programme has been extended at Alford Pharmacy, Boots in Silver Street, Clover House Pharmacy, East Midlands Pharmacy and Medicines Plus Pharmacy.

National funding for the pathfinder programme in England ended on December 31 last year. It is believed pharmacies in Derbyshire and Northamptonshire have also been given a one-yeart extension. ICP has contacted those ICBs for more details.

"It means patients can continue to receive NHS treatments for on-the-day illness, including chest infections, ear infections for adults and children aged one and over, oral thrush and skin infections, plus many others without needing to see their GP,” Nottinghamshire ICB said.

It said its three participating pharmacies provided over 1,100 prescriber consultations last year while the service was rated five out of five by 97 per cent of people during a “small patient survey”.

Just a sticking plaster - we need proper funding for pharmacy prescribing service

However, Community Pharmacy Nottinghamshire’s chief officer Nick Hunter told ICP that although the extension was welcome, Labour needed to fund a national pharmacy prescribing service.

“It’s great news and we are pleased our collaborative work with the ICB has supported the extension,” he said. “However, it is still just a sticking plaster and what is really required is proper funding to formally commission a community pharmacy based prescribing service.” 

Lincolnshire ICB said its participating pharmacies provided more than 2,800 prescriber consultations and had "continuous positive feedback from reviews highlighting how important this service is to local communities".  

“Community Pharmacy is playing an increasingly important role as a front door to the NHS, utilising the skills of our brilliant pharmacists to deliver patient-centred care much more effectively,” said Dave Briggs, the executive director of outcomes at Derby and Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICBs.

“The ability to prescribe for additional conditions, in addition to the hugely successful Pharmacy First service available at nearly all our community pharmacies, makes treatment more accessible to the public and allows GPs more time to focus on patients with more serious, persistent illnesses.

“Providing greater access to primary care in convenient high street locations is central to the vision of the NHS 10-year plan’s aim to move care from hospital to community.”