Pharmacy First

Patients throughout England now have the option to receive prescription-only treatment for seven common conditions directly from their local high street pharmacy, bypassing the need for a GP appointment.

This includes the ability for pharmacies to prescribe and provide antibiotics and antivirals when deemed clinically appropriate.

The conditions can be treated at pharmacy:

• Sinusitis (patients aged 12 years and above)
• Sore throat (for those aged 5 and over)
• Earache (ages 1-17)
• Infected insect bites (ages 1 and above)
• Impetigo (ages 1 year and over)
• Shingles (ages 18 and over)
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (women aged 16 to 64)

Advantages of this service include:

• It is faster than waiting for a GP appointment.
• Pharmacy First, alongside expanded Blood Pressure Check and Oral Contraception services at pharmacies, could potentially free up to 10 million GP appointments annually.