There have been various developments across the UK in the past two years – including the commitment in Scotland to pharmaceutical care through the Achieving Excellence Strategy, and most recently the announcement of the formation of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in the new GP contract for England.
The survey had 740 responses that were broadly representative of population levels across the UK.
Key findings
- Not surprising, the number of general practice pharmacists are rising significantly with an increasing proportion working solely in general practice (increased from 28% in 2017 to 46% in 2019).
- Over 50% of practising GP pharmacists in England have not had access to the ‘Clinical Pharmacist’ training pathway.
- There are also marked differences in employment patterns between the four UK countries. Notably, there is more multi-practice working in Scotland currently, but it will be interesting to see how Primary Care Networks in England impact on this in the future.
- A significant proportion of pharmacists are paid at band 8a (or the equivalent) or above, which contrasts with the funding provided for PCN pharmacists posts suggesting that practices may need to consider contributing more than 30% of a band 7 salary to secure an appropriately experienced pharmacist.