Independent Prescribing

CPE view following the contract negotiation on Independent Prescribing element of the new contract:  Link

As part of negotiations on the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) arrangements for 2026/27, it was agreed that prescribing (independent prescribing) will be introduced into the CPCF as an extension of Pharmacy First and the Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS) from the autumn of 2026.

Community pharmacist prescribers will be enabled to:

• Prescribe within the existing Pharmacy First clinical pathways and the PCS.
• Provide up to five new Pharmacy First prescribing-only pathways – options to be considered include bacterial conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, oral thrush, skin infections and respiratory tract infections. In advance of their rollout, the new pathways will need to be approved by a clinical reference group. These consultations will count towards the monthly clinical pathways minimum activity requirement.
• Prescribe an alternative item where there is a need to meet the needs of an individual patient, e.g. where there is a supply chain issue relating to the original prescription, and there are arrangements in place with the original prescriber to allow such an approach.

The proposals build on the approach taken in many of the pharmacies involved in NHS England’s Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme, which sought to create a framework for future commissioning of NHS community pharmacy clinical services incorporating prescribing.

Supporting documentation and changes to the Terms of Service will cover a range of clinical governance requirements related to prescribing activities.

Funding

Funding will include a one-off setup payment of £500 payable when a pharmacy owner has signed up to provide the relevant services and has a confirmed go-live date with an NHS-assured Electronic Prescribing Service (EPS) IT system.

Additionally, there will be a monthly infrastructure payment of £525.

Pharmacy owners will also receive the usual Pharmacy First or PCS consultation fees.

Pathfinder Programme – link

Independent Prescribing within the CPCF