NHS Pharmacy First

Posted on:

The Pharmacy First service continues to free up GP appointments for patients who need them most and gives people quicker and more convenient access to safe and high-quality healthcare.

Trained pharmacists can provide consultations, treatments and where necessary prescription medication for a range of conditions.

With more than 98 percent of community pharmacies in Dorset offering this service, makes it easier and more convenient for people to access care.

Four in five people in England can reach a community pharmacy within a 20-minute walk and there are twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived communities, making access to care quicker and more convenient.

The 2023 public perceptions of community pharmacy survey found that the majority of people in England (89%) say they would be comfortable with being given antibiotics by the pharmacist without needing to see a GP for a prescription first.

For 7 common conditions, pharmacists will follow a robust clinical pathway which includes self-care and safety-netting advice and, only if appropriate, supplying a restricted set of prescription only medicines without the need to visit a GP.

Conditions they can offer prescription medicine for are:

  • sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
  • sore throat (aged 5 years and over)
  • earache (aged 1 – 17 years)
  • infected insect bite (aged 1 and over)
  • impetigo (aged 1 and over)
  • shingles (aged 18 and over)
  • uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (aged between 16 – 64)

Community pharmacists also offer help and advice on a wide range of symptoms and other minor illnesses, such as hay fever, acne, dry skin, mouth ulcers and indigestion.

You don’t need an appointment, and most pharmacies have a private consulting room or a quiet area where you can discuss your symptoms.

They can also help you decide if you need to see a doctor, or whether to use any other type of local NHS service.

If you contact the surgery for something that can be dealt with by a Pharmacist, be prepared to be signposted to a local Pharmacy.