Pharmacy First to Expand with Five New Prescribing Pathways This Autumn

🔹 Bullet‑Point Briefing for Pharmacy Teams

• NHS England and DHSC have confirmed five new prescribing pathways launching under Pharmacy First later this year. Pathways include:
  • Acute otitis externa (18+)
  • Seasonal allergic rhinitis (ages 4–11)
  • Mild to moderate acne (young people)
  • Migraine – low‑frequency, episodic (18–64)
  • Mild skin and soft tissue infections and scabies
• These pathways were shared with ICBs last month, but a recent announcement formally confirms their inclusion in the 2026/27 CPCF settlement.
• Further operational guidance on prescribing within the CPCF will be published shortly by DHSC and NHS England.
• Community Pharmacy England welcomed the strategic importance of prescribing but warned that sustainable funding is essential for safe, scalable delivery.
• CPE remains concerned that current investment levels may not cover the increased workload, clinical governance, and infrastructure required for prescribing.
• Pharmacy owners will need to assess viability individually—deciding whether delivering CPCF prescribing makes commercial sense or whether to use independent prescribing (IP) skills elsewhere in their business.
• Additional documentation and updates will be released soon.

Read the full article on CPE here.