A SHIPLEY-based company which supplies GP practices with pharmacists is creating an extra 100 jobs nationwide as part of its expansion.

Prescribing Support Services (PSS), which moved into a new office in Pegasus House, Otley Road, earlier this year, plans to boost its workforce of pharmacists in the next 12 months.

It is expanding to meet demand as the NHS looks for different ways to support patients.

PSS is the largest employer of primary care pharmacists in the UK and is recruiting to meet demand. It employs 150 people in a mixture of directly employed and contract roles.

The firm provides a fully managed pharmacist-led service which supports 250 practices across the UK with a cost-effective way to help meet patient workloads and manage medicine-related activity.

Set up in 2000 by Dr Duncan Petty, it has worked with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and medical practices to implement an evidence-based approach to achieving the best outcomes from the investment in medicines.

PSS provides a range of clinical services to the NHS including anti-coagulation services, diabetes care and services for patients including discharge management and care home audit services.

Mo Nazir, PSS chief executive, said: “We have grown tenfold in recent years and now support 250 GP practices around the UK.

“Our model allows GPs to use our pharmacists to provide flexible patient support and manage the medicine service. We support a more flexible and efficient patient-focused service.

“We have significant growth plans and believe this business can grow tenfold again in the coming years.

“Hentons support us on this journey with accountancy and tax planning support that has helped to free up cash that fuels our expansion.”

Hentons, a chartered accountancy firm, operates a large specialist medical team that supports hundreds of GPs and associated businesses.

Simon Gray, partner at Hentons, said: “PSS is a real innovator in its sector. The NHS is looking for ways to work more flexibly and efficiently, and PSS has created a patient-focused model that meets this requirement.”

PSS has provided care home medication review services since 2009 across the UK including Bradford, Airedale, Leicester, Leeds and Hampshire.