Pharmacy First is expanding after five conditions were added to the scheme, prompting industry to urge for continued investment.
Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, visited Green Light Pharmacy to launch the expansion (pictured), which will see acne, migraines, scabies, ear infections and rhinitis now fall under Pharmacy First, which means people can visit their participating pharmacy without needing to see their GP first. This is in addition to seven other conditions already covered under the scheme.
In announcing the expansion, NHS England said the move will help to ease pressure on GPs and A&E departments ahead of what could be another record-breaking winter for the NHS. Figures show there were more than 77,000 hospital admissions for diseases of the ear, 47,500 linked to migraines, 5,000 for vasomotor and allergic rhinitis, and 681 for scabies in 2024/25. New figures show Pharmacy First has delivered 14 million consultations since its launch in February 2024, including two million appointments for acute sore throats, and more than 1.7 million for urinary tract infections. Once fully rolled out, evidence suggests two-three million consultations for the five conditions could take place each year in community pharmacies.
The Prime Minister commented: “People are fed up with the scramble for routine appointments. They want help when they need it, close to home. That’s exactly what this delivers – no more taking time off work or waiting hours to get seen. This is change families will feel in their day-to-day lives as we build a better Britain. Treating people closer to home means catching problems earlier, easing pressure on GPs and A&E, and giving people back precious time.”
Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, added: “Pharmacy First is helping millions of people across the country get faster, easier care, closer to home already. Community pharmacies are vital to shifting care into the community, and this initiative makes the most of our skilled pharmacists so patients can get on-the-spot treatment. It also helps ease pressures on other parts of the NHS with early intervention.”
Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, also advised: “Community pharmacists already play an important role in helping people to manage minor illnesses, and we welcome plans to further develop the well-received Pharmacy First Service. The expanded offering will make better use of pharmacists’ expertise and give patients quicker access to advice and treatment for a wider range of ailments. It also paves the way for pharmacists to be core community clinicians, cementing their role in neighbourhood health services.”
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) welcomed the expansion but added a word of caution, with Chief Executive, Henry Gregg, commenting: “This is a really significant announcement, and it is great to see patients being able to be treated for more conditions on their doorstep at their local pharmacy, without having to see a GP. We want to see the Government turbo charge the role of pharmacies, including rolling out more prescribing services to patients on the NHS. In Scotland, patients can be treated for 27 different conditions at their pharmacy, with a third of the population accessing this service last year, many steps ahead of England.
“Pharmacies are still under significant financial pressures, and this just shows why the Government should go much further and invest in our pharmacy network that has the power to transform people’s experience of everyday health issues. We need more details about how this scheme will work in practice, including how new IT schemes will function and at the moment only a small number of pharmacies will be taking part. This new prescribing programme won’t be able to be scaled up to meet the Government’s ambitions without increasing the funding levels made available for it first.”
The organisation said it was delighted that Andy Burnham visited NPA board member, Sanjay Ganvir, Superintendent of Green Light Pharmacy, to highlight the forthcoming expansion. It added: “Pharmacies can do so much more to provide accessible health services to patients, without the need for them to visit their GP. It was great to see such enthusiasm from the Prime Minster for this shift. Much more investment is needed to turbo-charge the pharmacy network’s contribution to health in every neighbourhood.”
The Royal College of Pharmacy has also welcomed the news, with Professor Mahendra Patel OBE, Chair of the Royal College of Pharmacy’s English Pharmacy Advisory Council, commenting: “The expansion of clinical services not only empowers patients with greater choice on where and how they receive care but also makes the most of the valuable skills of pharmacists and their teams. It reinforces the value of the clinical expertise that pharmacists bring to patients, communities and the wider NHS, through providing services that are convenient, accessible and trusted by the public. As Pharmacy First continues to evolve, it is vital that investment in the pharmacy workforce and infrastructure keeps pace with growing demand. The College looks forward to working with the NHS, government and pharmacy teams to ensure patients can continue to benefit from high-quality, clinical care delivered through their local pharmacy.”
