Nearly four in five people want to get more treatments at pharmacies
The Independent
As the NHS Pharmacy First service marked its first anniversary very recently – Friday 31st January – pharmacy leaders are highlighting both its significant success in providing vital healthcare to patients, and the growing public interest in expanding pharmacy services.
- 78% of the public in England (according to YouGov polling) support expanding pharmacy roles to treat additional conditions such as chest infections and skin issues, highlighting growing demand and public appreciation.
- This strong public backing shows the growing demand for pharmacy services and highlights the opportunity to expand Pharmacy First in response to this need. It also reflects the public’s appreciation for pharmacies, which have been ranked as the ‘most essential’ high street service by consumers, further emphasising their value.
- Pharmacy First has delivered nearly two million consultations in its first year, helping patients access treatment for minor conditions without needing a GP, reducing pressure on the NHS.
- Over 10,000 community pharmacies (96%) are signed up to offer the service, showing the potential for further growth.
Despite the value and success of this new service, pharmacies are under increasing financial pressure. The ongoing impact of real terms cuts in funding, staff shortages and operational pressures could hinder the ability of pharmacies to continue delivering the service and to meet rising demand. Without urgent financial support, pharmacies may be unable to sustain or expand Pharmacy First.
Pharmacy leaders are calling for more long-term support to ensure the service’s future success and potential expansion. Pharmacy leaders recognise that the service is changing lives and helping millions across the nation, but to keep this up, community pharmacies need more support.
Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, said:
“Pharmacy First has already proven to be a vital service, helping millions of patients across the country while freeing up GPs to focus on more complex health needs. The public’s overwhelming support for pharmacies offering advice and care shows how much people rely on their local pharmacies for accessible healthcare, making it a lifeline for many.
Pharmacies have done an incredible job delivering this service under immense financial and operational pressure. However, to sustain this, they need greater support and further investment.”
Nick Kaye, Chair of the National Pharmacy Association said:
“This first year of Pharmacy First is a story of pharmacies delivering significant change for patients at pace and under intense pressure. It’s clear that when the government invests in community pharmacy, it can deliver exceptional clinical care for patients and take pressure of the rest of our overstretched health system.
“We now need to look to a future where pharmacies are trusted to deliver more clinical services, with the right funding to achieve this. To help deliver the shift to primary care envisaged for the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, pharmacies need to have the confidence to invest in services like Pharmacy First, which have so much potential to free up capacity elsewhere in the system and ease waiting times.”
Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of Company Chemists’ Association, said:
“Pharmacy First has been exceptionally successful in its first year. Our data shows that 94% of eligible patients get the care they need within a pharmacy, and that Pharmacists are treating their role as antimicrobial stewards with the utmost seriousness, only supplying antibiotics when necessary. Many patients are also accessing the service outside of typical working hours, during evenings and weekends which is a testament to the accessibility and convenience pharmacies provide.
It’s time to expand Pharmacy First so that even more GP capacity can be freed up. We estimate as many as 40m GP appointments could be freed up annually. However, it’s imperative that the sector is stabilised first. A decade of underfunding has caused untenable pressure, with over 1,200 pharmacy closures since 2017.”
Dr Leyla Hannbeck, Chief Executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said:
“There’s a saying where you end up depends upon where you start. Pharmacy First certainly is a step in the right direction for community pharmacy and primary care as a whole, but a year on and it has been an uphill climb. A battle which started when only a limited advertising campaign was dedicated to the service, the dependency of the service on GP referrals which creates barriers to its success – something that IPA raised concerns about since the onset and we have been consistently asking for the service to be a self referral one, and thresholds that are unachievable for many. But despite these barriers it is only the professionalism from Pharmacy teams that has ensured the initiative has been a qualified success.
The main concern for community pharmacy remains the lack of adequate core funding. The sector needs the headroom to be able to manage debt then move forward with a remuneration model that gives both stability and the potential to invest, plan, and prepare for the future.”
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Coverage:
Nearly four in five people want to get more treatments at pharmacies | The Independent
