Patients bring prescriptions into a community pharmacy to have prescription medicines dispensed and to be helped with advice and information on the best use of their medicines.

The following resources support with different processes associated with the professional dispensing and supply of the medicines including judgement and decision-making. 

Legal requirements on prescriptions

• Controlled drugs
• Controlled drug changes: tramadol, lisdexamfetamine, zopiclone and zaleplon
• European Economic Area (EEA) prescriptions
• Emergency supply
• Independent prescribing of controlled drugs
• Legal classifications of medicines database
• Medicines, Ethics and Practice: The professional guide for pharmacists
• Medicines that optometrists can order
• Professional judgement
• Supply of medicines to podiatrists and their patients
• Veterinary medicines

Professional and clinical checks on prescriptions

• Clinical check
• Dispensing oral isotretinoin and pregnancy prevention
• Good dispensing guidelines – England
• How to use the BNF
• How to use the BNFC
• Medicines, Ethics and Practice: The professional guide for pharmacists
• Medical devices
• Medicines adherence
• Medicines optimisation
• Medication history
• Professional judgement
• Specials guidance
• Transfer of care 

Dispensing and supplying the prescribed medicines

• Children collecting medicines from a pharmacy
• Counselling patients on medicine
• Dispensing and supply of oral chemotherapy and systemic anticancer medicines in primary care
• Medicines administration (MAR) charts
• Medicines, Ethics and Practice: The professional guide for pharmacists
• Multi-compartment compliance aids: Improving patient outcome through the better use of MCA
• Near Miss Error log
• Protecting vulnerable adults
• Protecting children and young people
• Responsible Pharmacist hub
• Safe custody of controlled drugs
• Supporting patients on oral anti-coagulants 

People visit community pharmacies to ask for advice with their ailments and to discuss whether OTC medicines can help. 

Increasingly more products are available over-the-counter, providing pharmacists with a larger selection of medicines to help patients.

Our resources help you with best practice guidance, information about re-classified medicines (POM to P), and other aspects of helping with OTC medicines.

Reclassified medicines

• Amorolfine nail laquer
• Chloramphenicol eye drops and eye ointment
• Omeprazole
• Orlistat
• Tamsulosin
• Tranexamic acid P medicine

Supplying/selling OTC medicines

• Children collecting dispensed medicines from a pharmacy
• Cough and cold products for children
• Counselling patients on medicine
• Emergency contraception
• Interim statement of professional standard for OTC medicines
• Legal classifications of medicines database
• Medicines, Ethics and Practice: The professional guide for pharmacists
• Pseudoephedrine and ephedrine
• Responsible Pharmacist hub

Additional useful guidance

• Advertising pharmacy services and medication
• Clinical check
• How to use the BNF
• Medical devices 
• Protecting vulnerable adults
• Protecting children and young people

Community pharmacies provide a wide range of services to patients; these can be locally/nationally commissioned/contracted NHS services or private services.

The following resources provide you with information on running or setting up different services in your pharmacy.

Setting up and running services

• Advertising pharmacy services and medication
• Cholesterol testing
• Diagnostic testing and screening service
• Flu: Setting up a flu vaccination service
• Medication review
• Repeat medication management, prescription collection and delivery services

Additional useful guidance

• Counselling patients on medicine
• How to use the BNF
• Medication history
• Protecting vulnerable adults
• Protecting children and young people
• Responsible Pharmacist hub
• Summary care records

Resources to help with health promotion, preventing disease and supporting people with chronic conditions

As the first port of call, you will have opportunities to speak to people about health promotion, healthy living and preventing disease.

We have produced a range of resources on different areas of public health for you to use when you are having discussions and advising people in practice.

• Alcohol use disorders
• Asthma: Supporting patients with asthma
• Bowel cancer
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Supporting patients with COPD
• Dementia: Pharmacy & the call-to-action resources
• Diabetes
• Lung cancer
• Mental health toolkit
• Obesity and weight management
• Oesophago-gastric cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Protecting vulnerable adults
• Protecting children and young people
• Seasonal influenza
• Sexual health
• Smoking cessation
• Supporting patients on oral anti-coagulants