Pharmacists Time Freed Up to Treat Patients More

The Department of Health and Social Care states that “Pharmacies are vital to the shift from hospitals to communities in our 10 Year Health Plan”.

Patients will benefit from better access to pharmacy services under new proposals set out by the government today (17-07-25).

The Department of Health and Social Care has published plans to modernise pharmacy supervision rules, to allow registered pharmacy technicians to take greater responsibility and enable pharmacists to focus more on frontline patient care.

The draft legislation follows extensive consultation with pharmacy professionals and stakeholders. It is expected to come into effect by the end of 2025 and the bulk of the measures will have a one-year transition period to allow for the development of professional standards and guidance.

It will expand who can supervise the dispensing of medicines, empower the pharmacy workforce to deliver better care and unlock clinical expertise, so communities are served more effectively by their local pharmacy, improving care in the community and reducing pressure on the NHS.

Here at Tabletalk we know very well the value of Pharmacists to their local communities and that many vulnerable people rely on them for far more than just the dispensing of medicines. As the most trusted and accessible healthcare professionals they are in a unique position to advise people immediately on all manner of health related topics, not just medication. They are adept at signposting services other than their own that people can access such as local authorities, charities and care providers.

We feature many clients in these sectors on our Pharmacy Bag campaigns. The bags not only provide information to pharmacy visitors which they can take back into their homes, but also act as a prompt to discuss accessing services immediately with the pharmacist.