INTRODUCTION
It is widely acknowledged that there is a workload crisis in UK general practice. In addition to the impact of population growth and an increase in the number of older people with complex health needs, GPs have also taken on a considerable amount of work previously undertaken in secondary care. The result has been a 16% increase in overall GP workload, over a 7-year period up to 2014, according to a recent large-scale English study.1 So far, there is little sign that the promised increase in resource heralded in the 5-year General Practice Forward View is making a difference on the front line.2
INVESTING IN PHARMACISTS
One approach to tackling the workload crisis is to draw upon the skills of other healthcare professionals, particularly those who are able to prescribe, with pharmacists being one example. In this context, the investment from NHS England in expanding the number of pharmacists working in general …