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The conversation about the pharmacy workforce is often framed as a question of numbers. In reality, it is about something much more fundamental, says Harry McQuillan…

Pharmacy workforce is about structure, capability and long-term sustainability.

The NHS is operating under sustained pressure and community pharmacy has increasingly become one of the most accessible points of care within the health system.

That shift is already happening. The question now is whether the workforce model evolves quickly enough to support it. Continuing to operate within structures designed for a very different era will not serve patients, professionals or the wider system well.

A key part of that evolution is the growing role of independent prescribing. Independent prescribing pharmacists are no longer a future ambition for the profession, they are an essential part of the solution to improving patient access to care.

Training alone is not enough

The decision to make all newly qualified pharmacists independent prescribers marks an important step forward and it cannot stop there. We must create clearer and more practical pathways for pharmacists to develop prescribing capability as well. This process is defined in Scotland and Wales and has borne fruit over the last five years.

Training alone is not enough. Pharmacists need the right environment in which to practise, with structured support, meaningful clinical exposure and service models that allow them to use their skills fully and confidently.

Of course, an electronic consultation recording system is required to ensure professional and public safety. Alongside this, we must also look carefully at how we use the wider pharmacy team.

Pharmacy technicians represent a hugely valuable and often underutilised resource. By expanding technicians’ roles in areas such as accuracy checking, medicines optimisation and operational leadership, pharmacists can spend more time where they add the greatest value, supporting patients clinically.

This is not about replacing one role with another, it’s more about creating a smarter and more effective skill mix across the team. Of course, workforce redesign cannot happen in isolation at an individual pharmacy level. It requires genuine co-ordination across the health system.

Integrated care systems have an important role to play in bringing greater strategic alignment to workforce planning, ensuring pharmacy is fully integrated into local healthcare delivery rather than sitting at its margins. This will be particularly important when neighbourhood planning is being considered.

Just as importantly, we need to think further ahead. Too often, workforce planning in healthcare is reactive, responding to short-term pressures rather than anticipating future need.

Building a sustainable workforce means investing in strong education and training pipelines, from foundation training through to advanced clinical practice, and ensuring there are clear and rewarding career pathways for both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

None of this will be achievable without recognising the importance of protected learning time. Pharmacy teams are already working at full stretch.

Expecting them to develop new skills without the time and support to do so simply is not realistic. Learning time should be viewed as an investment in the future capability of the profession, not an operational inconvenience.

Finally, we must also look at how pharmacy operates day to day. In many places, workflows still prioritise volume over value. By embracing technology, improving automation and redesigning processes, we can release capacity within pharmacies to focus more meaningfully on patient care.

The future role of pharmacy within primary care is not in doubt. Community pharmacy is already demonstrating the value it brings to patients and to the NHS as a whole. The real challenge now is ensuring the workforce is structured in a way that allows that contribution to grow.

If we approach workforce redesign with ambition, collaboration and practical thinking, pharmacy can play a truly transformative role in the future of healthcare.

It is an opportunity the profession and the NHS cannot afford to miss.

Harry McQuillan is the chairman of Numark.