The Scottish heath service has announced a “huge increase” in funded training places on independent prescribing courses for pharmacists.

The newly announced 186 training places will be made available to pharmacists from a range of sectors who were already on the waiting list for one of the 244 places available in 2021-22.

Health Education for Scotland said the training would support the delivery of the NHS Pharmacy First Plus service in community pharmacies, as well as pharmacist-led clinics in primary care and inpatient and outpatient prescribing in secondary care.

Chief pharmaceutical officer Alison Strath said: “Pharmacist independent prescribers are already playing a vital role in the delivery of high quality pharmaceutical care in community, primary care and hospital pharmacy services across Scotland. 

“As the NHS recovers from the pandemic, new models of care are emerging in both planned and unscheduled care, delivered by integrated multidisciplinary teams.

“This additional funding will support our ambitions to build greater clinical capacity and capability, better manage demand, improve safety and support the redesign of traditional professional roles and boundaries to advance patient care.” 

Community Pharmacy Scotland chief Harry McQuillan said: “Such is the commitment from the community pharmacy network in Scotland to supporting independent prescribing and the development of the NHS Pharmacy Plus service, that pharmacy owners have allocated funding from their negotiated financial envelope to ensure all community-based pharmacists on the 2021/22 waiting list have the opportunity to undertake this qualification.

“Community Pharmacy Scotland is grateful to our colleagues at NHS Education Scotland for working with us to devise and secure such an expansion.”