Independent Prescribing and Dispensing - NHS Pharmacy First

Published: 27th August 2026

Thanks to everyone who made it along to our recent "Ask Me Anything" event on NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, we hope you found it useful!

Since the event, we've had some additional questions submitted - there were several on the theme of prescribing and dispensing by the same pharmacist, so we thought it would be worthwhile sharing our thoughts…

With the rapid expansion of IP as part of Pharmacy First, it is inevitable that some of our pharmacists will find themselves being not only the prescriber but the only pharmacist able to clinically check their own work. So - what do you need to think about? Thankfully, the Royal College of Pharmacy reviewed their position a few years ago along with the Royal College of Nursing and issued new guidance which moved away from asking people to avoid these situations towards a helpful framework to reduce risk as far as possible. We have included this link below as a resource for you to consider - if you have any questions, you can contact us at enquiries@cps.scot

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