Until now the programme allowed practices to recruit one whole-time equivalent (WTE) pharmacist per 30,000 patients. Practices will now be able to recruit one WTE clinical pharmacist per 15,000 patients.
Under the programme, which was launched in April 2016 as part of the GP Forward View, NHS England provides funding towards the costs of recruitment and employment of the pharmacists tapered over a three-year period.
Pharmacists employed under the scheme will also now be able to work part time at 0.5 WTE, whereas previously they had to commit to working at least 0.8 WTE.
NHS England said that the changes would make it easier for sites to operate across a smaller population size and was good news for patients and GPs.
Application deadlines
The deadline for the next wave of applications is 23 November and applications for a following wave close on 22 February 2019 and a further wave has a closing date of 31 May 2019.
Clinical pharmacists
There are currently 810 whole-time equivalent (WTE) clinical pharmacists working in general practice under the scheme, covering 1,834 practices and 15m patients. NHS England is aiming to have almost 2,000 clinical pharmacists in general practice by 202/0/21.
An NHS England-funded independent evaluation of the programme, published earlier this year, found that clinical pharmacists made ‘a unique and valuable contribution to the primary care skill mix’.
The researchers found employing pharmacists in general practice can lead to greater capacity, reduced workload for GPs, medicinal optimisation and improved patient care.
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