Newly Qualified Pharmacists - NHS PFS Service Prescribing
Published: 20th August 2026
Congratulations again on your recent qualification, and the start of your career as a registered Pharmacist!
For those of you who are employees of a community pharmacy, you may be starting to think about your route to using your independent prescribing skills as part of NHS Pharmacy First (Scotland) Service.
For clarity, your very first step should be to engage with your employer to discuss any specifics for your pharmacy, and contact your local NHS Board to discuss any board specifics, making sure that you and the pharmacy that you work in are all set up to deliver before ordering a pad and starting to claim for the service.
Details for the NHS Board Community Teams can be accessed at Community Pharmacy – A hub for all information relating to community pharmacy
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Your first step is to speak to your employer. There will be specifics for your individual pharmacy that need to be agreed before anything else happens. Once you've done that, contact your local NHS Board Community Team to discuss any board-level requirements, so that both you and the pharmacy you work in are properly set up to deliver the service.
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No. Ordering a pad and submitting claims should come after you and your pharmacy are fully set up to deliver. Engaging with your employer and your local NHS Board first makes sure everything is in place, and avoids issues further down the line with delivery or claiming.
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Details for all NHS Board Community Teams are available on the Community Pharmacy hub at communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk, which brings together information relating to community pharmacy across Scotland.
Our colleagues at the GPhC Inspectorate have asked us to pass on a friendly reminder as to the procedures required for Community Pharmacies to appropriately deal with Private Prescriptions for Controlled Drugs.