More than 600,000 consultations have taken place in the East of England since the launch of the Pharmacy First service last year, enabling people to receive fast treatment from high street pharmacies for common conditions, minor illnesses and urgent repeat medicine supply without needing to see a GP.

Since January 2024, almost 300,000 patients in the region have been able to get treatment and medicines from their local pharmacy for seven common conditions, covering sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.

In the same period, pharmacies in the East of England have also delivered almost 155,000 consultations for minor illness referrals, as well as nearly another 160,000  consultations for urgent repeat medicine supply.

The initiative ties in with the government’s ambition to bring more care closer to people’s homes ahead of the 10 Year Health Plan with the NHS prioritising primary care access.

Between February 2024 and March this year, pharmacies in the East of England delivered the most consultations for these top three conditions:

• acute sore throats (100,119)
• uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) (71,432)
• acute otitis media (middle ear infections) (42,764)

Dr Martin Hawkings, Deputy Director of Primary Care for NHS England – East of England, said: “Pharmacy First is helping people get fast, convenient, direct access to clinical services in their local community without needing to see a GP. We are also encouraging GPs, where appropriate, to refer patients to their pharmacy when it meets their clinical needs.”

William Rial, Regional Chief Pharmacist for NHS England – East of England, said: “It’s thanks to the hard work of our region’s pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and all the staff employed in our pharmacies that Pharmacy First is now providing high quality clinical advice and care to so many people in the East of England.

“This is a significant expansion in the services on offer from pharmacies in people’s local communities, meaning people now have an easy and convenient way of managing and treating many common illnesses.

“Pharmacies are playing a crucial role in the shifts in NHS care: shifting patients from hospitals to the community, and from treatment to prevention.

“Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are skilled professionals who operate in the heart of the NHS and their communities and are highly trusted by the public.”

In March the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed it had agreed funding with Community Pharmacy England worth an extra £617 million over 2 years following a 6-week consultation with the organisation.

Reforms include making the ‘morning-after pill’ available free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS for the first time ever, ending the postcode lottery women face in accessing the medicine and reducing inequalities.

This is part of the NHS and government’s ambition to expand national services offered by community pharmacy, adding to existing services such as blood pressure monitoring and managing oral contraception, helping patients get quicker access to the care they need.

A recent Ipsos Mori study showed that the public identify pharmacies as the organisation they would be most likely to go to if they needed information or advice about a minor health condition (58%), but one in five (20%) say they do not normally contact or visit a community pharmacy.

Background

The seven conditions pharmacists can manage across various age ranges are:

• Acute otitis media (middle ear infection) (1 to 17 years)
• Impetigo (1 year and over)
• Infected insect bites (1 year and over)
• Shingles (18 years and over)
• Sinusitis (12 years and over)
• Sore throat (5 years and over)
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (Women 16 to 64 years)

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