Over 8,300 pharmacies have progressed through the profession-led self-assessment process and registered with the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) to attain Level 1 Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP) status since the quality payment scheme started, Public Health England (PHE) has announced.

Announcing the figures Gul Root, PHE lead public health pharmacist, said: “This is a fantastic achievement in a very short period of time. The acceleration of uptake of the healthy living pharmacy concept is reinforcing the potential for pharmacy to have a key role in addressing health inequalities and improving the health of the nation.”

Commenting on the announcement, Alastair Buxton, director of NHS services at PSNC, added: “The majority of pharmacies in England have now become level 1 HLPs and this fantastic achievement follows an enormous amount of hard work by pharmacy teams... It also provides a clear illustration of the ability of community pharmacies to develop their health and care services, so the pharmacy network can play its part in achieving the population health goals of the NHS.”

Greg Fell, chair of the Pharmacy and Public Health Forum's Healthy Living Pharmacy Task Group and director of Public Health, Sheffield City Council, said: “The challenge begins now that you are HLPs – embracing the culture and ethos of the HLP concept, so pharmacy staff, especially health champions, reach out to their communities pro-actively to promote health and well-being messages. Many of you come from the communities that you serve, making it much easier for you to help people change their lifestyles.”