Five pharmacies in the Black Country have been selected to participate in the Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme, a national pilot that allows community pharmacists to prescribe independently in England.
Starting September 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will be independent prescribers upon registration. This shift offers NHS England an opportunity to commission clinical services from community pharmacies that incorporate independent prescribing, as the new workforce joins the profession.
In preparation, the NHS has launched the Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme, aimed at enabling community pharmacist prescribers to play a greater role in delivering clinical services in primary care. 210 community pharmacies across all 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England will trial independent prescribing for a range of conditions as part of a locally commissioned, but nationally funded, clinical service.
The programme comprises of pilot sites, referred to as ‘pathfinder’ sites which enable a community pharmacist prescriber to support primary care clinical services. There are five pathfinder sites in the Black Country, and more than 16 pharmacist independent prescribers, who will be supporting patients from diagnosis to prescribing, providing advice and delivering clinical services closer to people’s homes.
In the Black Country, the first models of prescribing are for minor conditions, including earache, eye infections, muscular pain, skin problems and the oral contraceptive pill. Bloxwich Pharmacy in Walsall was the first to go live with the programme in December, followed by Masters Pharmacy in Sandwell in January. The remaining pharmacies - Ettingshall Pharmacy in Wolverhampton, Dixons Green Pharmacy and Swinford Pharmacy in Dudley - are set to go live in the next few weeks.
Hemant Patel, Chief Pharmacy Office, Director of Medicines and Clinical Policy at the NHS Black Country ICB, said: “The Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme is designed to help the health service prepare for the inclusion of prescribing in community pharmacy-based clinical services, which will improve patient access to care in a safe way and enhance the role of pharmacists in patient care.
“Our pharmacy colleagues are excited to have the opportunity to support this transformational initiative and the wider NHS, enabling pharmacy to truly be the first point of contact for patients with minor ailments. Feedback from patients so far has been how convenient and professional the service is, whilst feedback from our GP practices has been positive on how the pharmacy is supporting them with their access and capacity challenges.
“We look forward to rolling out the programme to our remaining three pathfinder sites over the next couple of weeks, enabling our community pharmacist prescribers to play a greater role in delivering clinical services in primary care.”
