To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2007, Official Report, columns 1006-07W to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on pharmacy, how many pharmacies (a) are registered as prescribers and (b) offer primary care trust-commissioned blood pressure checks. (146490)

The commissioning of national health service services such as pharmacist prescribing and routine blood pressure checks are matters for primary care trusts to determine. Under the new community pharmacy contractual framework, pharmacists are now providing a wider range of services other than just dispensing medicines. These include the prescribing of medicines and blood pressure checks.

Information from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, shows that at the end of May 2007, in Great Britain, there were 1,189 pharmacist supplementary prescribers and 68 pharmacist independent prescribers.

Information on the number of pharmacists undertaking blood pressure checks is not collected centrally.