Parliamentary Drop-In Session: Diabetes Screening

Published: 19th March 2026

Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) policy colleagues hosted a parliamentary drop-in session today at Scottish Parliament to highlight the important role community pharmacy can play in diabetes screening. The session was led by Policy & Development Officer Gordon Winter, Policy Officer Gill Paterson, and Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Diabetes Scotland, Vicki Cahill.

The event was kindly sponsored by Emma Harper MSP, who has and continues to be a great advocate for community pharmacy. A number of MSPs attended the session, providing a valuable opportunity to engage directly our 2026 Manifesto key priorities, particularly the importance of preventing ill health, detecting conditions early, and supporting effective treatment.

The session also highlighted Diabetes Scotland’s manifesto, Care, Consistency, Choice, which closely aligns with CPS’s ambition to see the community pharmacy network commissioned to deliver a targeted diabetes screening programme. Such a programme would link closely with NHS services, ensuring that individuals identified as being at risk are supported to make meaningful lifestyle changes.

This collaborative approach reflects a shared commitment to improving early detection and prevention, and to making better use of the accessible, clinical expertise within community pharmacy to support people across Scotland.

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