HEIW Strengthening Community Pharmacy to Improve Access and Patient Outcomes Across Wales

Published 26/03/2026

Community pharmacy in Wales is evolving at pace, with pharmacy teams now delivering a broader range of clinical services that are improving access to care, providing person‑centred support closer to home and helping to deliver better outcomes for patients.  Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is at the heart of this change, ensuring the workforce is skilled, confident and ready to meet the population’s needs both now and in the future.

With nearly 700 community pharmacies across Wales, the sector remains the most accessible part of the NHS. As demand for timely advice and treatment continues to grow, community pharmacy teams are increasingly providing convenient routes to care through NHS‑funded clinical services.

Pharmacists can now assess, diagnose and treat 27 common conditions, giving people faster access to care within communities. In January, pharmacy teams across Wales carried out 45,443 consultations through the Common Ailments Service (CAS), helping people access timely advice and treatment in their local community.

Services such as Sore Throat Test and Treat and uncomplicated urinary tract infection management are helping improve patient flow, support antimicrobial stewardship and provide care closer to home. Feedback shows that 81.9% of people using CAS would otherwise have sought help from another NHS service, most commonly a GP appointment, highlighting the value of providing accessible, community‑based care.

These developments are supported by major reforms to pharmacist education and training. From 2026, pharmacists in Wales will register as independent prescribers, following the integration of prescribing training throughout the MPharm degree and the Foundation Training Year.  This ensures early‑career pharmacists have the clinical assessment, decision‑making and prescribing skills required to contribute to modern models of care from day one.

Independent prescribers in community pharmacy recorded 19,864 consultations in January, with 96.1% of patients reporting they would otherwise have accessed another provider, emphasising the importance of timely assessment within local community settings. HEIW’s evolving post‑registration development pathways continue this progression, helping build advanced clinical capability across the workforce over time.

Pharmacy technicians are also taking on an expanded role in delivering patient‑facing services. Through strengthened education, clear governance and defined responsibilities, technicians are contributing to medicines optimisation and specific aspects of clinical care. This supports effective multidisciplinary working, improves service capacity, and enables pharmacists to focus on the most complex patient needs.

Pharmacy teams also carried out 1,850 Discharge Medicines Reviews (DMRs) in January, helping to ensure medicines are safe and appropriate following a hospital discharge, and supporting smooth transitions of care for patients.

This transformation demonstrates the value of aligning workforce development with service priorities. By investing in capability, confidence and clear career pathways, HEIW is helping build a resilient, future‑ready pharmacy workforce that can deliver safe, high‑quality care in the right place at the right time, supporting a healthier Wales through improved access and stronger community‑based care.  More than 76,462 consultation summaries were securely shared with GP practices in January, demonstrating strong integration between community pharmacy and the wider primary care team.

Reflecting on her first months in post since joining HEIW in October 2025, Pharmacy Dean, Elen Jones, said: “In my role as Pharmacy Dean, I am committed to give my complete commitment to leading the ambition across Wales to build a modern, confident pharmacy workforce in all sectors.

Community pharmacy is already showing what’s possible when clinical capability, education and service development come together, with real benefits for patients and the wider system. Strengthening skills across the whole pharmacy team is essential to delivering timely, person‑centred care closer to home, and I’m excited to help drive this work forward over the months and years ahead.”

With continued investment in education, workforce transformation and multidisciplinary collaboration, HEIW is committed to ensuring community pharmacy remains a vital and evolving part of the health and care system in Wales.  Improving outcomes for people and supporting the long‑term sustainability of NHS services.