Following an "overwhelming" response from GP surgeries requesting funding for practice pharmacists, the 73 successful applications have been announced that will give more than seven million people access to a clinical pharmacist when they visit their GP.

NHS England, Health Education England, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners have announced the successful applications that will receive their share of £31m NHS funding that will allow 698 GP practices to employ 403 pharmacists. Pharmacy Voice commented: "We hope that with an expanded programme comes an expanded effort to build better communication links between general practice and the community pharmacy network. There are many potential advantages for patients to more joined up services in primary care, in particular better support for medicine uses, as shown in our recent report Dispensing Health for Later Life. Improved relationship between the professionals and the roll out access to summery care records for community pharmacy professionals will mean better and more integrated care for patients across the primary care network."