Pharmacies have treated more than five million patients with minor illnesses since the launch of Pharmacy First, latest data has revealed.

But sector leaders say there is still ‘a lot of untapped potential’ and that the government must take action to expand the service’s offering.

More than 2.4 million walk-in consultations have taken place since the service began on 31 January 2024, while 1.5 million consultations have been carried out for minor illness referrals and 1.4 for urgent medicine supplies.

The latest data from the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) suggests that among the seven common conditions treated under the service, acute sore throat was the most popular, with 835,679 consultations.

This was followed by uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) (665,409); acute otitis media (292,844); sinusitis (248,702); infected insect bites (202,993); impetigo (105,373) and shingles (63,713).

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.

And a recent YouGov poll found that community pharmacy was the most accessible healthcare location for the public last winter, ahead of general practice, dentists and hospital services.

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But sector leaders are concerned that the public still lacks awareness around Pharmacy First.

Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said while it was ‘good news’ that the scheme in England had surpassed five million consultations – which translates to around 8% of the population – this was lower than how the Scotland Pharmacy First scheme had performed in the same period.

‘With around a third of the population having accessed Pharmacy First in Scotland during the same period, we know there's a lot of untapped potential,’ he said.

‘If the same was to be replicated in England, around 20 million patients a year could be accessing this service.’

Mr Picard said there was ‘a lot more that can be done to increase uptake in England’, including greater engagement of GPs and a ‘sustained’ public awareness campaign.

Levels of understanding around Pharmacy First and its benefits are ‘still low’, he added.

As well as greater awareness, Mr Picard said it was key that the government used its upcoming NHS 10-Year Plan to ‘expand the conditions that patients can be treated for as part of Pharmacy First’.

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England (CPE), said the Pharmacy First service in England had been an excellent way for pharmacy teams to use their skills to support patients, and the latest figures were a testament to the willingness of pharmacy teams to play their part in the public’s health.

She added: ‘Community pharmacy teams have done an amazing job providing the service – despite several bumps along the way – building a solid foundation from which to grow.’

But Ms Morrison also stressed the need to expand the service and, in particular, to incorporate independent prescribing into the scheme.

‘Pharmacy First is an important stepping stone towards a more clinical future, demonstrating how invaluable a resource pharmacies are for our local communities and helping to make the case for additional investment in the sector,’ she said.

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‘We have long been a proponent of building on the service and would be keen to see the NHS 10-Year Plan introduce more clinical pathways and incorporate independent prescribing into Pharmacy First.’

As part of the latest pharmacy contract agreed between CPE and the government, £215m will be available for contractors to earn through Pharmacy First, blood pressure and contraception services.

Head of policy at the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) Dr Nick Thayer said: ‘Pharmacies offer an additional access route for patients seeking urgent care. With their convenient high street locations and extended opening hours across evenings and weekends, patients typically visit their community pharmacist twelve times more than their GP.’

The Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) collects weekly data from its members such as Boots, Pharmacy2U and Superdrug and has outlined how the service could be expanded to free up 40m GP appointments each year.

Dr Thayer added: ‘Our data shows that over a quarter (27%) of Pharmacy First consultations took place in the 20% most deprived areas and amongst our members, demand on Sundays is double the average of that during the week. Pharmacy First is clearly meeting patient demand and creating vital capacity in primary care.’

David Webb, chief pharmaceutical officer for England, paid tribute to the thousands of registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians involved in the service.

He said: ‘I’d like to thank pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and all the staff who are employed in pharmacies for their hard work in providing high quality clinical advice and care to more than five million people.

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‘Pharmacy is a critical element as the shifts NHS care from hospitals to the community, treatment to prevention, and analogue to digital.

‘The recent additional investment underscored the importance of community pharmacy as an integral part of the NHS team, providing clinical care, optimising the use of medicines and supporting people in their neighbourhoods to prevent ill health.’

Minister of state for care Stephen Kinnock said: ‘The success stories shared by patients demonstrate how this service is making a real difference. It is providing timely care without the need for GP appointments: a true Neighbourhood Health Service.’

While thanking pharmacy teams for their ‘dedication in making this possible’ he assured that pharmacies would ‘remain a priority, so people get the care they need close to home’.