Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of community pharmacist supplementary and independent prescribing clinics in Scotland for England.

The Scottish Government will shortly be conducting a review of community pharmacy supplementary and independent prescribing clinics. The Department will consider carefully the findings of this review.

In England, the Pharmacy Integration Fund is being used to support the employment of pharmacists, who are able to prescribe and access the full clinical record within integrated urgent care, general practice and care homes. These pharmacists are well placed to work alongside the wider medical team to optimise the use of medicines and improve clinical effectiveness.