THE SERVICE
No GP appointment needed
The NHS says most pharmacies can offer prescription medicine for seven conditions without you seeing a GP. It is worth contacting the pharmacy first to check.
See the sevenStart
WHAT THE NHS SAYS
Seven conditions,
one pharmacy counter.
Some prescription medicines no longer need a GP visit.
Under the NHS Pharmacy First service in England, community pharmacists can assess seven common conditions and, where clinically appropriate, supply prescription-only medicines. This independent guide explains the service using NHS pages. It is not a pharmacy and gives no medical advice.
7common conditions
See the sevenKeep in mind
- Walk in or call ahead
- Private consultation
- GP record updated
- How a Pharmacy First visit works
THE SHORT ANSWER
Ask the pharmacy
first.
For seven conditions in England,
a pharmacist can complete the whole episode of care.
THE VISIT
A private conversation
Pharmacies have private consultation rooms. The pharmacist follows a set clinical pathway and may give advice, supply medicine or refer you on.
How a visit works
THE MEDICINE
Only when appropriate
Medicines, including some antibiotics and antivirals, are supplied only where clinically appropriate. Usual prescription charges and exemptions apply.
See the numbersGeneral information only, not medical advice. For advice about your own health, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health professional.
THE SEVEN CONDITIONS
Which ages
does it cover?
Pick a condition to see the age range the NHS gives for Pharmacy First. The bar shows how wide that age range is, not how serious the condition is.
From NHS 'How pharmacies can help' and NHS England's Pharmacy First page. General information only, not medical advice: if you are unwell, contact a pharmacy, GP or NHS 111.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
A pharmacy
is rarely far away.
One figure on how many pharmacies signed up,
one on how close most people live to one.
95%+
Pharmacies in England signed up at launch
The Department of Health and Social Care said more than 10,000 pharmacies, over 95 per cent of those in England, had signed up when the service launched.
SIGN-UP · DHSC
4 in 5
People within a 20-minute walk
DHSC says four in five people in England can reach a community pharmacy within a 20-minute walk.
DISTANCE · DHSC
NHS England says Pharmacy First launched on 31 January 2024 and builds on the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service that has run since October 2019.
HOW A VISIT WORKS
From the counter
to your GP record.
This is how NHS England and DHSC describe a Pharmacy First consultation. It is a description of the service, not a recommendation for any individual.
Step 1
Walk in, call, or be referred
You can contact the pharmacy directly for the seven conditions, or be directed there by a GP practice, NHS 111 or urgent care.
Step 2
Talk in private
The pharmacist can see you in a consultation room, may examine you or ask to see your records, and follows a set clinical pathway.
Step 3
Advice, medicine or referral
The outcome may be self-care advice, a restricted prescription-only medicine where appropriate, or referral to a GP or other professional.
Step 4
Your GP is told
The pharmacy notifies your GP on the same or the next working day. The NHS says your information is not shared with anyone else.
BEYOND THE SEVEN
What else
a pharmacy does.
The NHS lists other services many pharmacies offer: advice on minor illnesses and medicines, up to three appointments to help with a newly prescribed medicine, safe disposal of old medicines, and in some pharmacies free blood pressure checks or the contraceptive pill without a prescription.
Pharmacy First is an England service. Scotland runs its own NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, open to people registered with a GP or living in Scotland, which covers a wider list of minor illnesses. Check NHS inform or your local NHS for how it works where you live.
Questions
Questions on the way
What is Pharmacy First?
An NHS service in England, launched on 31 January 2024, that lets community pharmacists assess seven common conditions and, where clinically appropriate, supply some prescription-only medicines without a GP appointment.
Which conditions are covered?
Sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women, each within set age ranges.
Do I have to pay?
DHSC says usual prescription charges apply, and people already exempt from prescription charges remain exempt.
Can I still see my GP instead?
Yes. DHSC says patients can still choose to visit a GP. Pharmacy First is an additional route for the seven conditions.
Does every pharmacy offer it?
Most do, but not all. The NHS suggests contacting the pharmacy before you visit to check, and online pharmacies do not do earache consultations.
Destination