Andy Burnham said Pharmacy First will expand in England this autumn so people can get on-the-spot treatment for five more common conditions at their local pharmacy. The change lifts the number of conditions covered to 12 and starts a gradual rollout that will first reach only a few hundred chemists.
He said people were “fed up with the scramble for routine appointments” and that “for five more common conditions, you'll be able to walk into your local pharmacy and get treated on the spot”. The new conditions are migraines, acne, scabies, ear infections and badly blocked noses.
NHS England rollout
NHS England said pharmacists can already prescribe medication for seven conditions: sore throat, earache, sinusitis, shingles, impetigo, infected bites and urinary tract infections. It said the expansion is designed to ease pressure on busy GPs and A&E departments while making treatment quicker and more convenient for people in England.
The service will begin with a few hundred chemists offering treatment for the five new conditions before expanding across community NHS pharmacies in England. Eventually, it will be available at thousands of community NHS pharmacies across England, extending same-day care beyond the GP surgery for common problems that can be handled in a pharmacy setting.
Rob Music and migraine care
The Migraine Trust said it was delighted by the change after calling for more help for migraine care in pharmacies. Rob Music said having this support for people with migraine through their local pharmacy was “a wonderful opportunity for a faster and improved care pathway”.
Dr Amanda Doyle said patients can get as much support as possible in their communities “so they do not have to be admitted to hospital unnecessarily”. Community pharmacies also already offer support with healthy eating, exercise, stopping smoking, monitoring blood pressure, contraception, flu vaccinations and Covid vaccinations.
Pharmacy funding pressure
Bodies representing pharmacies across England have consistently said the funding provided by the goverment does not cover the workload for the new plans. That dispute sits behind the rollout, even as the scheme expands to more conditions and more sites.
For people in England, the practical change is straightforward: for the listed conditions, the first stop can now be a pharmacy rather than a GP, with access widening in stages from a few hundred chemists to thousands.
