NHS England is to more than double its funding for the pilot of pharmacists working in GP practice teams to a total of £31 million.

English Pharmacy Board chair, Sandra Gidley, said: “This extra investment of £16m from NHS England on top of the existing £15m is fantastic news. It’s a real vote of confidence in the pharmacy profession and a huge step towards the integration of pharmacists into primary care. Increasing the number of pharmacist posts in the pilot from 250-403 also reflects the overwhelming response from GPs to this initiative and means more of those who applied will be able to benefit from having a clinical pharmacist in their team.

“Having pharmacists in GP practices will be also be key to better communication with community pharmacists which will benefit patients as well as encouraging greater liaison and use of the community pharmacy network ... It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.”

The RPS has produced 'The ultimate guide for pharmacists working in GP practices' for pharmacists interested in the role.