By Anthony Singh, BMS Accredited Menopause Specialist & Clinical Pharmacist

NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme 2025 Cohort

Menopause is not just a women’s health issue, it’s a public health priority. Yet too many women continue to face barriers to receiving the care they need, often turning to private providers when NHS options feel limited or inaccessible.

Pharmacy’s role in menopause care

As a pharmacist leading the UK’s first pharmacist-led menopause clinic in North West Leicestershire, I’ve supported over 1,500 women in just 15 months, and seen first-hand the difference pharmacy professionals can make when equipped with the right tools and confidence.

We are uniquely placed within primary care, accessible, knowledgeable, and already trusted by patients. Yet despite this, many pharmacists still report feeling underprepared to deliver menopause care safely and effectively.

Through my work on the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) 2025, I’m committed to changing that. My focus is on building a national model of menopause education and clinical delivery led by pharmacists, training pharmacy professionals to become confident first-line providers, reducing GP workload, and most importantly, improving equitable access for women across the NHS.

Expanding the Designated Prescribing Practitioner role

One of the most exciting enablers on the horizon is the expansion of the Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) role. As more pharmacists undertake their independent prescribing qualifications, we have an opportunity to embed menopause care into prescribing training itself, with specialist pharmacist DPPs leading mentorship and supervision in this field.

This would not only build workforce capability but also embed menopause as a routine area of clinical practice, helping to normalise it and remove the stigma that still lingers around women’s health in medicine.

Impact and recognition

The impact is already clear: our own clinic data shows that 69% of women would have otherwise seen a GP, and several reported they would have paid privately, highlighting both demand and the savings pharmacist-led care can generate.

The clinic has received national recognition through the British Menopause Society Award and the NHS Primary Care Excellence Award, but the greatest achievement remains this: delivering NHS menopause care that is free, accessible, and rooted in pharmacy leadership.

Scaling the model nationwide

As my NHS CEP journey continues, I plan to develop a scalable framework to support other systems and PCNs in replicating this model, with the ultimate goal that every woman in the UK has access to high-quality menopause support from within the NHS, and that pharmacists are central to delivering that care.

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