Six in 10 pharmacists confident to deliver Pharmacy First this winter
The Pharmacist
More than six in 10 community pharmacists surveyed by The Pharmacist believe they have the capacity to deliver a common conditions service in England this winter. Among over 160 community pharmacists surveyed, 65% said they thought they would have the capacity to deliver Pharmacy First from this winter, 20% said they did not, 10% didn’t know and 4% were not based in England. The data is based on responses to an online survey which ran between August and September 2023.
In particular those surveyed highlighted public and GP awareness, proper funding for the service and training for pharmacists as key enabling factors for the service.
We were asked to respond to these findings and below is our comment in full.
Our CEO Janet Morrison said:
“With other parts of the health service overwhelmed, the NHS needs community pharmacies to offer wider help with common conditions now more than ever. Our recent polling showed overwhelming support for the introduction of a Pharmacy First service, but struggling community pharmacies can only do so if this comes with the right funding and support. Negotiations on this service – as announced by Government over the summer – have taken longer than we would have liked, but it is vital that what we agree is workable for pharmacies. We need to understand the relationship of the new proposals with the current contract, ensure the structure of payments is fair, and consider how to manage delivery against potential demand.”
