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NHS Digital data show there are just under 500 pharmacists are now employed as advanced pharmacist practitioners in general practice in England.
The figures, published on 18 December 2025, show that as of November 2025 — the most recent date for which data is available — general practice employed a total of 483 advanced pharmacist practitioners, which represents a 4.8% growth since November 2024.
The number of advanced pharmacist practitioners employed in general practice has risen consistently each year since November 2021, when no such roles were recorded.
By November 2022, there were 347 advanced pharmacist practitioners employed by general practice, which rose to 420 in November 2023 and 461 in November 2024, the data revealed.
As of November 2025, the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) advanced pharmacist practitioner roles nationally was 372. The FTE figure is lower than the headcount because many pharmacists work across multiple roles.
The overall pharmacy workforce has also grown, with a headcount of 2,509 pharmacists in general practice as of November 2025, which is a 5% increase since November 2024, the data show.
In addition, the figures highlighted that the number of GP pharmacy technicians now stands at 734 — a 14% growth compared with November 2024.
Joseph Oakley, associate director of assessment and credentialing at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), commented: “The continued growth of pharmacists working at an advanced level in general practice reflects how the expanding clinical role of pharmacists in the multidisciplinary team (MDT) is supporting the delivery of excellence in patient care. Advanced pharmacists are well placed to improve access to care, support long-term condition management and lead the safe and effective use of medicines, working in collaboration with GPs and the wider MDT.
“RPS credentialing plays a vital role in supporting this growth by driving consistency, quality and excellence in advanced practice. Since launching advanced credentialing, 85 pharmacists working in primary care in England have successfully completed our collaborative support pathway with the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) and NHS England,” he added.
“Credentialing provides confidence for patients, employers and the wider healthcare system that these practitioners are working to nationally recognised standards and delivering improvements in patient outcomes.”
Advanced pharmacist practitioners in general practice can have a range of areas of expertise and are generally independent prescribers.
The results of a The Pharmaceutical Journal salary and job satisfaction survey, published in 2024, showed that more than three-quarters (76%, n=151) of GP/primary care network (PCN) respondents said they used their independent prescribing qualification every day.
Nearly half (42%, n=216) of hospital pharmacists and one-third (33%, n=46) of community pharmacists responding to the survey said they used their independent prescribing qualification every day.
The survey also revealed that community pharmacists were more likely to struggle to find a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) to supervise their training.
When asked to identify barriers to becoming an independent prescriber, more than half (52%, n=271) of community pharmacists who responded pointed to lack of access to a DPP compared with just 16% (n=55) of GP/PCN pharmacists.
