South east London pharmacy team shortlisted for national award
A south east London programme that helps people manage high blood pressure closer to home has been shortlisted for a national PrescQIPP Award 2026. The programme has been recognised in the Addressing Health Inequalities category.
The Community Pharmacy Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme was set up in North Southwark to help people get support for high blood pressure at their local community pharmacy. The aim is to make it easier for people to access care and help reduce health inequalities.
The programme brings together community pharmacies, GP practices and NHS South East London. Patients who have high blood pressure are invited to see a community pharmacist, who can check their blood pressure, review their medicines, offer lifestyle advice and prescribe treatment when needed. All care is managed and recorded in the patient’s electronic GP record, helping teams work together.
In the first six months, 73 people took part in the programme. More than half reached their target blood pressure after just two or three appointments. The programme has been particularly successful at reaching people who are most at risk of poor health outcomes, including people living in more deprived areas and people from Black communities.
Patients said they found the service easy to access and valued being able to see the same pharmacist throughout their care. Many also said they felt more confident about managing their health after taking part.
The programme has already been expanded to support people with other long-term conditions, including high cholesterol and asthma. There are now plans to adopt this approach more widely across south east London.
The PrescQIPP Awards celebrate innovation and best practice in medicines optimisation across the NHS, with winners due to be announced later this year.