Pharmacy First

Pharmacy First for Minor Illnesses

The NHS Pharmacy first is an NHS England initiative providing convenient treatment closer to patients’ homes.

Lots of conditions are more appropriate for a consultation with a Community Pharmacist, rather than a GP. Our team will discuss your symptoms and, if appropriate, refer you for a same day appointment with our community pharmacist colleagues at a local community pharmacy for a personal consultation. You will have a choice over which pharmacy you are referred to.

What is an NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation?

• It’s a one-to-one consultation with a fully qualified pharmacist at a local pharmacy.
• It involves a clinical assessment and conversation with the pharmacist.
• The consultation is normally by phone in the first instance or in the privacy of a consultation room at the pharmacy.
• The pharmacist will normally contact the patient within 4 working hours.

How can the pharmacist help?

• The pharmacist has the right clinical training to assess you and recommend the best treatment for some common conditions.
• If your symptoms suggest it’s more serious, the pharmacist will help you to get an urgent GP appointment if needed.
• If you don’t need any treatment the pharmacist will be able to provide reassurance and advice – for example, a minor ailment that may get better on its own.
• To help with symptoms, the pharmacist may suggest an over-the-counter medicine that can be purchased.
  What happens next?

The pharmacist will make a record of the outcome and send it back to your GP.

What conditions can the pharmacist treat?

Pharmacists have been backed by Government and the NHS to provide a new ‘Pharmacy First’ service.

The service enables pharmacists to offer advice to patients and supply NHS medicines (including antibiotics), where clinically appropriate,

Local Pharmacies that provide this service include

• Byron’s Pharmacy
• Nash Chemist
• Fernville Pharmacy
• Jupiter Chemist
• Superdrug, Marlowes
• Boots, Marlowes
• Boots Stoney Croft
• Woods Pharmacy
• Gadebridge Pharmacy

What conditions are not referred to the pharmacist?

Generally, this will include:

• Children under 1 year old
• Immunosuppressed patients
• Severe symptoms
• Pregnant patients
• Symptoms/conditions that have lasted more than 3 weeks

This service will help free up GPs to deal with more complex health needs and ensure that everyone gets treated at the right time, by the right healthcare professional.