Pharmacy First uptake falling short of expectations, says Kinnock

Pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock has said that take-up of Pharmacy First is not where the government ‘would like it to be’.

As a result, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is looking at options to increase awareness of the scheme and to 'free up pharmacists to be able to operate at the top of their licence'.

Mr Kinnock added: ‘Part of that is about streamlining the dispensing side of what they do, and the hub and spoke legislation will be really important in that context.’

The minister was answering a parliamentary question from Ely and East Cambridgeshire MP Charlotte Cane, who spoke of difficulties experienced by rural and community pharmacies and the need to staff and equip them sufficiently.

‘The take-up of Pharmacy First is not what we would like it to be, so we are looking at options to increase awareness of Pharmacy First and to free up pharmacists to be able to operate at the top of their licence,’ said Mr Kinnock.

He added that pharmacies would ‘play a central role’ in the shift from hospital to community under the government's 10-year plan, and that Pharmacy First would play an important part in that shift.

He also commented that the interface between general practice and community pharmacy was ‘not where it should be’.

‘We believe that pharmacists have a huge amount more to offer, but that requires a better digital interface and better information sharing – a single patient record,’ said Mr Kinnock.

The pharmacy minister was also asked by Rachel Gilmour, MP for Tiverton and Minehead, whether the DHSC would make an assessment of the effectiveness of Pharmacy First in relation to reducing the workload for GP surgeries.

In response, Mr Kinnock pointed out that the National Institute of Health and Care Research was conducting an assessment on how the service has been implemented across England, including impacts on prescribing in general practice settings.

He added: 'From July 2024 to February 2025, over 1.7 million Pharmacy First clinical pathway consultations were delivered by community pharmacies.

'In the same period, over 1.5 million minor illness referrals and 1.4 million consultations for urgent medical supplies were delivered by community pharmacies in England to support patients and help to alleviate the pressure on GP surgeries.'

Last week, Mr Kinnock suggested that as more pharmacists become independent prescribers next year, the government would make ‘even better use’ of the profession’s skills.