Wales and Scotland already have their own NHS pharmacist IP services. The NHS Wales Pharmacist Independent Prescribing Service (PIPS) for common ailments and contraception allows pharmacist IPs to provide the service from accredited community pharmacy premises which meet relevant criteria.^8,9

The list of common ailments is similar to the conditions covered in England. For IP services outside extended acute minor illness or contraception, prescribers may only provide NHS prescriptions for additional conditions following the expressed agreement of the health board, where there is an agreed local need.10

Scottish pharmacies can provide the NHS Pharmacy First Plus (PFP+) community pharmacist independent prescriber (CPIP) service. This is an enhanced version of Scotland’s NHS Pharmacy First service, enabling community pharmacists who are IPs to provide extended clinical assessment and prescribe medicines for a broader range of conditions within the community pharmacy setting.¹¹

CPIPs can clinically assess patients, diagnose within their competence, and prescribe appropriate medicines directly from the pharmacy, without relying solely on national protocols.¹¹