UK Parliament
Pharmacies can be the “soul of communities”, pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock has said in exclusive comments to The Pharmaceutical Journal.
His remarks come ahead of draft legislation on pharmacy supervision, due to be published on 17 July 2025 by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the devolved governments.
The new legislation “will modernise pharmacy operations by enabling registered pharmacy technicians to undertake routine dispensing tasks that currently require direct pharmacist supervision”, Kinnock told The Pharmaceutical Journal.
“This will allow pharmacists to prioritise clinical patient care whilst maintaining comprehensive safety oversight, as part of the ten-year health plan’s emphasis on expanding community-based healthcare services.”
In an announcement on the draft legislation, the DHSC said 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”.
The DHSC opened a consultation on pharmacy supervision in December 2023, which set out proposals to amend the Medicines Act 1968 and the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
The proposals allow for:
- Pharmacists to authorise pharmacy technicians to carry out, or supervise others carrying out, the preparation, assembly, dispensing, sale and supply of medicines;
- Any member of the pharmacy team to hand out checked and bagged prescriptions in the absence of a pharmacist;
- Pharmacy technicians to supervise the preparation, assembly and dispensing of medicines in hospital aseptic facilities.
Pharmacy bodies broadly welcomed the proposals, although Community Pharmacy Scotland said in its consultation response that it disagreed with the first of the proposals.
Kinnock said that the proposals were developed “through extensive consultation with the sector and pharmacy professions” and “address existing inefficiencies where pharmacists must personally supervise all operational aspects, including tasks that qualified team members could safely execute”.
In exclusive comments to The Pharmaceutical Journal, Kinnock added that “safety remains paramount through these reforms”.
“The legislation maintains rigorous safeguards whilst enabling enhanced operational efficiency. Pharmacists will retain authorisation over task delegation and professional oversight, ensuring appropriate skill utilisation whilst eliminating unnecessary bottlenecks,” he said.
Kinnock also noted that pharmacies “are so much more than places where people pick up medicines”.
“They can be the soul of communities, places to get much needed medical advice with highly trained professionals ready and eager to help,” he added.
“Following the government’s £617m two-year investment — the first real funding increase since 2014 — these changes demonstrate our commitment to building a stronger primary care system that delivers accessible, efficient pharmacy services across Britain’s communities.”
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has welcomed the draft proposals, saying that “the proposed changes mark a significant step forward in modernising pharmacy practice and enabling better use of the skill mix within pharmacy teams”.
The RPS response added that it would develop guidance in partnership with other bodies for the pharmacy professions on handing out pre-checked medicine bags in the pharmacy and on safe and effective models of authorisation of pharmacy technicians.
Guidance will be provided “once the legislation comes into effect, which is expected to be by the end of 2025”, it said.
Claire Anderson, president of the RPS, said: “We support the overall direction of travel set out in this legislation. It reflects a more collaborative, team-based approach to pharmacy that will help pharmacists focus on patient-facing clinical care while ensuring safety remains paramount.
“We will continue to work with the regulator and partners across the pharmacy professions to shape a future where all members of the pharmacy team are empowered to contribute fully to patient care.”
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association, said: “We welcome the laying of the supervision regulations today and publication of the DHSC’s response to the supervision consultation.
“The changes have always been intended to develop community pharmacy practice to meet the new challenges it faces and be ready for a more clinical future. This legislation does that, bringing community pharmacy practice into the 21st century.”
