Services Database Community Pharmacy Service to Support Low Income Families or Patients in Areas of Social Deprivation to Self-Care – Pharmacy First Service (West Leicestershire Area)

A three month pilot from January to March 2015, which has now been extended until July 2015.

The purpose of the Pharmacy First Service is to provide advice and supply over the counter medicines at NHS expense (where appropriate) for deprived and low income populations, children and the over 60s, reducing the burden of minor ailments on higher cost settings such as general practice and the emergency departments of hospitals. These schemes remove the cost barrier for increased use of pharmacies and self-management with OTC medicines, particularly in deprived areas.

The pharmacy will provide advice and support to people on the management of minor ailments. This will include the supply of printed information where possible. Also if appropriate the pharmacist will supply OTC medicine(s), free of charge, to those eligible to use the service.

Please note, this service has been decommissioned.

A consultation may be carried out by any pharmacist who has completed minor ailments service training if they are working in their capacity as pharmacist on a premises registered to participate in the scheme. Recognised training includes:

• CPPE pack “Minor ailments services: a starting point for pharmacists”;
• “Minor ailment schemes - Less than 60 minute e-learning events” on the NPC archive website https://www.npc.nhs.uk/quality/minor/less_than_sixty.php; or
• alternative training relating to a minor ailments service will also be considered.