UK: Think Pharmacy First; you don’t need an appointment for minor health concerns

The Pharmacy First scheme was launched by the government and NHS England on January 31, 2024, to give patients quick and accessible care and ease pressure on GP services.

Under the initiative, patients can now get treatment for seven common conditions directly from their local pharmacy, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription.

It will allow community pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines, including antibiotics and antivirals, where clinically appropriate, to treat seven common health conditions without the need to visit a GP.

The seven common conditions under Pharmacy First are: sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo (a bacterial skin infection), shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.

Patients can get treatment for these conditions by walking into the pharmacy or contacting them virtually.

GP receptionists, NHS 111, and providers of emergency care will also be able to direct patients to pharmacies that offer the service if contacted.

More than 10,000 pharmacies have already signed up to Pharmacy First—that’s over 95 percent of all those in England.