NHS England funding IP training for pharmacists

The NHS is offering to fund independent prescribing (IP) training places for general practice and community pharmacists in England.

NHS England said that it had worked with partners and stakeholders to develop the funded training offer for IP training, which is ‘crucial’ for pharmacists delivering care across the NHS.

It added that IP training will enable the provision of new models of care including supporting patients from diagnosis to prescribing, providing advice and follow-up, and preparing pharmacists to provide clinical care.

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The IP training places will be available to:

• Community pharmacists, including locum pharmacists;
• Pharmacists employed in general practice who are not eligible for, or enrolled on, the Primary Care Education Pathway (PCPEP), and those who are not employed by the additional roles reimbursement scheme (ARRS);
• Health and Justice pharmacists;
• Pharmacists enrolled on the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education’s PCPEP who meet the criteria to enrol on an IP training course;
• Pharmacists working in an NHS hospital or mental health trust; and
• Pharmacists working in an integrated care board.

Applications for training offers with start dates up to March 2027 are open.

NHS England said that eligible pharmacists will also need to have the support of an identified designated prescribing practitioner (DPP), an appropriate practice-based learning environment in a prescribing setting, evidence that they meet the course provider eligibility criteria, and a commitment to use the IP skill within their area of expertise for the delivery of NHS clinical services.

It added that the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has replaced the requirement for two years’ practice before starting an IP course with:

• The need that applicants ‘have relevant experience in a pharmacy setting’;
• The ability to ‘recognise, understand and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber’; and
• An area of clinical practice on which to base their learning.

Practice and community pharmacists must apply directly to their chosen university provider and indicate that they are applying for an NHS England-funded place.

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NHS England has also launched the Community Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Programme 2026 to supports pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians (PTPT) to be employed and complete a two-year apprenticeship training programme within a community pharmacy setting.

NHSE is offering a training contribution of £15,505 per trainee per year for two years to support sites developing a PTPT programme.

A number of ICBs have recently confirmed they are extending their support for the independent prescribing pathfinder programme amid calls for a national expansion of the scheme.

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The independent prescribing pathfinder programme started out as a national pilot funded by NHS England, which ended on 31 December last year, with most ICBs choosing to continue the programme until March.

NHS England has now withdrawn all financial support for the pathfinder sites as it consults with Community Pharmacy England (CPE) about the next community pharmacy contractual framework (CPCF), including a potential national prescribing service.