Pharmacy First launches: Over 10,000 NHS Pharmacies now offering treatment for seven common conditions

NHS England, BBC Radio 4, Mail on Sunday, Mail Online, iNews

Pharmacy First is now officially available across England, allowing patients in England easy and convenient access to treatment for seven common conditions directly from community pharmacies without the need for a GP appointment.  

Despite the current pressures in the sector, pharmacy owners and teams have diligently prepared for this launch, with an impressive 96% sign-up rate, equating to over 10,000 NHS pharmacies participating in this much-anticipated service.

Commenting on this significant launch in the NHS England news release, our Chief Executive Janet Morrison said:

“Today is a big day for community pharmacies who have been working incredibly hard to get ready for the launch of Pharmacy First. The service marks a step-change for pharmacies, patients and the public, and one that we hope to build on for the future. By choosing to go to ‘Pharmacy First’ for the seven common conditions, people can get help faster, freeing up GP appointments for those who really need them. We strongly encourage the public to make full use of this service for convenient, easy access to healthcare advice, support and appropriate treatments from expert pharmacists and their teams.”

Coverage

Janet Morrison was interviewed on BBC Radio 4 – You & Yours Programme: Pharmacy First, Home Batteries and Seaside Downsizers, discussing why we pushed for Pharmacy First, the need for continued core funding, and how the new service will be of value to patients, community pharmacies, and the wider health service.

Janet was also quoted in the Mail on Sunday (print) and MailOnline acknowledging that getting used to Pharmacy First will take time.

iNews also covered Pharmacy First and mentioned data analysis by Community Pharmacy England about the scale of permanent pharmacy closures across England. iNews also published a piece on Committee Member and Regional Representative for East Of England, Anil Sharma.