Patients in England will be able to get treatment for seven common conditions at their high street pharmacy from today without needing to see a GP, as part of a major transformation in the way the NHS delivers care, called Pharmacy First.
More than nine in ten community pharmacies in England – 10,265 in total – will be offering the ground-breaking initiative, with the health service making it easier and more convenient for people to access care.
Highly trained pharmacists will be able to assess and treat patients for sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (under the age of 65) without the need for a GP appointment or prescription.
The major expansion of pharmacy services will give the public more choice in where and how they access care, aiming to free up 10 million GP appointments a year.
Pharmacy First
The scheme is part of the NHS and government’s primary care access recovery plan, which is committed to making accessing healthcare easier for millions of people.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “GPs are already treating millions more people every month than before the pandemic, but with an ageing population and growing demand, we know the NHS needs to give people more choice and make accessing care as easy as possible.
“People across England rightly value the support they receive from their high street pharmacist, and with eight in ten living within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy and twice as many pharmacies in areas of deprivation, they are the perfect spot to offer people convenient care for common conditions.
Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, adds: “Today is a big day for community pharmacies who have been working incredibly hard to get ready for the launch of Pharmacy First. The service marks a step-change for pharmacies, patients and the public, and one that we hope to build on for the future.
“By choosing to go to ‘Pharmacy First’ for the seven common conditions, people can get help faster, freeing up GP appointments for those who really need them. We strongly encourage the public to make full use of this service for convenient, easy access to healthcare advice, support and appropriate treatments from expert pharmacists and their teams.”
But Louise Ansari, Chief Executive of Healthwatch England, notes: “It will, however, take time for pharmacists to get trained and ready for change. Patients and GP services need up-to-date information on which of their local pharmacies are offering direct supply of medicines for one, some, or all seven of the new conditions.
“Investment in a national campaign to raise awareness of the new services and build trust in pharmacists will also be essential and, crucially, this will need to reach all communities to be effective.”
