About this Consultation
The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (the Society) welcomes the opportunity to open its public consultation on Draft Standards for Pharmacist Prescribers in Northern Ireland.
The introduction of prescribing as a core element of pharmacist practice represents one of the most significant developments in the profession in recent decades. From 2026, those who successfully complete the Foundation Training Year will be eligible to join the register as independent prescribers from their first day as a registered pharmacist. This marks a fundamental shift in professional responsibility, scope of practice and public expectation.
This consultation provides an important opportunity to work collectively with pharmacists, patients, employers and other stakeholders to ensure that the proposed Standards are robust, proportionate, fit for purpose and that they support safe, effective and person-centred care across all settings.
The core aims of this consultation are to:
- Gather feedback on the clarity, structure and content of the Standards
- Ensure they support safe prescribing for both newly qualified and experienced prescribers
- Identify any additional considerations before finalisation
We are committed to listening to your views and providing a meaningful opportunity to shape the Standards for Pharmacist Prescribers that will underpin pharmacist practice in Northern Ireland now and in the future.
Thank you for taking the time to engage with this consultation. This questionnaire gathers views to inform the Draft Standards for Pharmacist Prescribers. Please answer the questions that are relevant to you. We will publish an analysis report after the consultation closes and explain how we have taken account of the feedback. We look forward to receiving your feedback and working together to strengthen safe and effective prescribing practice.
Further details about this consultation can be found on the consultations page of our website along with the Equality Impact Assessment.
Please note that you have until 11 June 2026 to complete this questionnaire.
All data will be held confidentially and will only be used for the purposes of collating responses to this specific consultation, however, should a Freedom of Information request (under the Freedom of Information Act 2000) be received, we may be obliged to share certain information, but at no point will we identify individuals or publish any identifying characteristics. Your data will be stored in accordance with the Society’s data protection statement and policies which can be found at: https://psni.org.uk/data-protection/
For any queries, or should you wish to remove your data, please contact the Pharmaceutical Society NI at: Consultations@psni.org.uk. If you require further information, are having difficulties accessing the documentation, or you need us to make adjustments in order to be able to respond to this consultation, please contact our team at: Consultations@psni.org.uk, telephone 028 9032 6927, or post your queries to: Consultation: Draft Standards for Pharmacist Prescribers in Northern Ireland (2026), Pharmaceutical Society NI, 73 University Street, Belfast BT7 1HL.
Canice Ward
Chief Executive Officer