A BARNSLEY pharmacy has become one of the first in the country to launch a new pilot that will give patients greater choice of appointments for medication reviews and prescribing services.

Dearne Valley Pharmacy, in Thurnscoe, is one of the first eight pharmacies in South Yorkshire to launch a pilot service under the NHS Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme, which will run throughout 2025.

All eight pharmacies aim to be live with the pilot by April.

The NHS Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme aims to try different ways of working that will help NHS commissioners to fund prescribing services through community pharmacy.

This will lead to better use of the pharmacists’ skills and provide more options for patients.

The pilot will allow patients to visit their pharmacist for advice and medication for hypertension management, cholesterol management, minor illness, medicines substitution, asthma management and oral contraception.

Claire Thomas, strategic pharmacist for community pharmacy at NHS South Yorkshire, said: “This is a huge and much needed step forward for community pharmacy, as well as our patients. It will lead to more choice of when and where to access appointments for medication reviews and prescribing services and reduce the number of people who need to see a GP.

“It will enable our community pharmacists to utilise their clinical and prescribing skills as pharmacists in other NHS care settings already do, maximising the potential they have for improving access to services and the health of their local populations.”