Response to Department of Health and Social Care consultation jointly with the Association of Laboratory Medicine

11 December 2025

The Microbiology Society and the Association of Laboratory Medicine have joined forces to respond to the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) consultation on enabling pharmacists flexibilities when dispensing medicines.

The proposals would allow pharmacists to dispense a different strength or formulation of a prescribed medicine in certain circumstances—for example, “where a patient requires an acute medicine, such as an antibiotic, straight away.” According to DHSC, the aim of the proposals is to “improve patient access to medicines, reduce the burden on healthcare systems and improve person-centred care.”

Our joint response was informed by a survey of members from both organisations. Key findings from the survey included:

• The majority of respondents support the proposed changes to community pharmacy dispensing.
• Antimicrobial stewardship and patient education, which pharmacists already play a vital role in, must be reinforced if the changes are implemented.
• Greater pharmacist flexibility could reduce patient inconvenience and improve access to medicines, but patient preference should be considered.
• 44% of respondents believe pharmacists would require additional training to safely apply the proposed changes.

The joint response from the Microbiology Society and the Association of Laboratory Medicine reflects shared priorities in tackling antimicrobial resistance, improving patient care and ensuring perspectives from all microbiologists are represented in these discussions.