Scottish Parliament Debate Reinforces Opportunity for Community Pharmacy
Published: 24th September 2026
The Scottish Parliament recently debated the growing challenge of health misinformation, including its impact on public confidence in healthcare and vaccination programmes.
The debate highlighted the importance of ensuring people can access trusted, evidence-based health information and recognised the need to improve vaccination uptake across Scotland.
For community pharmacy, this represents a positive recognition of the value of trusted healthcare professionals in supporting public health. Every day, pharmacy teams provide advice on medicines, vaccinations and wider health concerns, helping patients navigate conflicting information and make informed decisions about their care.
As policymakers consider how best to improve vaccine uptake and tackle misinformation, at CPS we believe there is a clear opportunity to make greater use of the community pharmacy network. With more than 1,200 pharmacies located in the heart of communities and trusted relationships with patients, pharmacy teams are well placed to improve access to vaccination services and support wider public health objectives.
This aligns closely with CPS's 2026 Manifesto, which calls for greater investment in prevention and making better use of community pharmacy's clinical skills and accessibility to deliver care closer to home. We will continue to advocate for community pharmacies to play a greater role in the delivery of vaccination programmes, ensuring patients can access convenient, trusted care while supporting Scotland's public health ambitions.
This information was correct at the time of publication. Policy and guidance can change, so please check our latest news for the current position. For anything else, please contact enquiries@cps.scot
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-
MSPs debated the growing challenge of health misinformation and its impact on public confidence in healthcare and vaccination programmes. The debate highlighted the importance of people being able to access trusted, evidence-based health information, and recognised the need to improve vaccination uptake across Scotland.
-
Pharmacy teams are trusted healthcare professionals who provide advice on medicines, vaccinations and wider health concerns every day. They help patients navigate conflicting information and make informed decisions about their care, which makes them a valuable source of reliable health advice at a time when misinformation is a growing concern.
-
With more than 1,200 pharmacies located in the heart of communities and strong relationships with patients, community pharmacy is well placed to improve access to vaccination services. In line with our 2026 Manifesto, which calls for greater investment in prevention and better use of community pharmacy's clinical skills and accessibility, CPS will continue to advocate for community pharmacies to play a greater role in delivering vaccination programmes, so patients can access convenient, trusted care closer to home.
Scottish Government has officially launched a pilot for Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) in community pharmacy settings.