The move will streamline processes within dental and pharmacy settings and improve patient experiences
Patients will have faster, simpler and fairer access to primary care as the government gives new powers to pharmacy technicians, dental hygienists and dental therapists to supply and administer medicines, Primary Care Minister Andrea Leadsom announced today (Thursday 28 March).
The move follows two public consultations run by the government, which found widespread support for giving new powers to these staff to cut bureaucracy and support more efficient patient care.
Dental hygienists and therapists will be able to give patients certain types of medicines – including pain relief and fluoride – without sign off from a dentist. Pharmacy technicians will now be able to administer and supply specified medicines to certain groups of patients, without those patients having to see a prescriber. These changes will potentially enable pharmacy technicians to undertake tasks like administering vaccinations and providing consultations under Pharmacy First.
The move will also free up pharmacists’ and dentists’ time, allowing them to deliver more patient-facing clinical services and improving access to primary care services for patients.
Today’s announcement is part of the latest series of measures the government has brought forward to cut waiting lists and improve access to primary care, which includes the publication of the Dental Recovery Plan, which aims to free up 2.5 million more appointments this year, and the expansion of the Pharmacy First scheme, which enables pharmacists to treat seven common conditions, and will free up to 10 million GP appointments per year.
There are currently over 25,500 pharmacy technicians working in pharmacies across England, Scotland and Wales, while there are 9,733 dental hygienists and 6,198 dental therapists currently registered with the General Dental Council in the UK.
Primary Care Minister, Andrea Leadsom said:
Nicola Stockmann, President of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK, said:
Miranda Steeples, President of The British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy, said:
The public consultations ran in 2023 and received overwhelming support, with 97% of respondents agreeing that dental hygienists and therapists should be given new powers, and 84% of respondents agreeing for pharmacy technicians. Respondents commenting on both sets of proposals included members of the public, NHS and health service delivery bodies, and private and not-for-profit organisations.
The changes fall under the government and NHS’s Primary Care Recovery Plan, which sets out the vision to ensure the NHS can deliver at the very maximum of its capability, utilising all its professional staff and contractors, including in pharmacies and dental practices.
Dental therapists and hygienists are currently able to administer medicines, including local anaesthetic and high-strength fluoride, but they need a prescription from a dentist. This means breaking from the patient and interrupting the dentist’s own work to get the prescription signed. The proposed exemptions will enable dental therapists and hygienists to supply or administer specific medicines on their own authority, making the process more efficient for patients and practices.
The new proposals will allow pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines using Patient Group Directions. This will avoid the requirement for patients to see additional healthcare professionals just to receive medicines, making it easier for patients to get the medicines they need when they need them while maintaining public safety.
Professor Claire Anderson, President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said:
Dr Fiona Sandom, Chair of The British Association of Dental Therapists, said:
As outlined in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the specified aim is to deliver 15% of dental activity through dental therapists and dental hygienists, as opposed to the current estimate of 5%. The plan also sets out the ambition to increase training places for pharmacists by nearly 50% to around 5,000 places by 2031/32, and to grow the number of pharmacy technicians.