Prescribing Policy and Research

Research evidence, stakeholder insight and a national framework to support the safe and sustainable expansion of prescribing in community pharmacy across the NHS.

Developing Community Pharmacy Prescribing

The NPA led a programme of research and stakeholder engagement to understand what needs to be in place for prescribing to develop safely and sustainably in community pharmacy.

Working with Q and Thiscovery, the programme brought together evidence from community pharmacists, GPs, other healthcare professionals, commissioners, patients and system leaders to identify barriers and enablers to community pharmacy prescribing and develop a practical framework to support future policy, commissioning and service development. Below you can explore the research, stakeholder discussions and framework developed through this work.

Publications: Framework

Creating the Conditions for Safe Prescribing: A framework for expanding prescribing in community pharmacy

This framework sets out the conditions required for prescribing in community pharmacy to expand safely and sustainably. It places patients at the centre and identifies the structural, relational and confidence conditions needed to support consistent development, while allowing flexibility in how services are implemented locally.

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Prescribing Framework launch slides

View the slides from the launch webinar, summarising the evidence, key elements of the framework and priorities for developing community pharmacy prescribing.

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Prescribing Framework launch webinar

Watch the launch webinar for the Creating the Conditions for Safe Prescribing framework, featuring perspectives from NHS England, Community Pharmacy England and pharmacy leaders from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Publications: Stakeholder roundtable

Deliberative Roundtable: Prescribing in Community Pharmacy – Post-event summary note

A summary of the July 2026 roundtable, where stakeholders tested the research findings and draft framework and considered priorities for the safe and sustainable expansion of community pharmacy prescribing. Discussions covered national direction, local flexibility, learning from the devolved nations, and patient-centred and practical implementation.

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Publications: Research Findings

Expanding prescribing in community pharmacy: professionals' and patients' views – Executive Summary

A concise overview of the research findings, bringing together the views and experiences of patients, community pharmacists, healthcare professionals and commissioners on the development of independent prescribing in community pharmacy.

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Expanding prescribing in community pharmacy: professionals' and patients' views – Summary infographic

A visual summary of the key findings from the research, highlighting levels of support for community pharmacy prescribing and the key opportunities and barriers identified by participants.

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Expanding prescribing in community pharmacy: professionals' and patients' views – Insights Report

The full findings from the research surveys undertaken by Thiscovery, exploring attitudes towards prescribing in community pharmacy among patients, pharmacists, healthcare professionals and commissioners and identifying the conditions needed to support its wider development.

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Looking for practical prescribing support?

NPA members can access training, clinical guidance, business support and practical resources through the NPA Independent Prescribing Programme.

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