Pharmacy First Service

The resources on this page are aimed at those who are involved with the implementation of the NHS Pharmacy First service within South West London, including general practice and community pharmacy teams, but also teams in Urgent Emergency Care (UEC) settings. These resources are not intended to be used as patient or public-facing information

Introduction to the Pharmacy First Service

NHS England launched the Pharmacy First service on 31st January 2024.  Under this service, community pharmacies across England will be able to provide a wider range of clinical treatments to the public. The introduction of this service is designed to help ease pressure on GP surgeries and improve patient access to care, as part of the Department of Health and Social Care’s Primary Care Access Recovery Plan.

The full NHS Pharmacy First service specification is made up of the following three elements:

Clinical pathways

  • The service enables the management of seven common infections by community pharmacists through offering self-care and safety-netting advice, and, only if appropriate, supplying certain NHS-funded over the counter medicines and prescription only medication.
  • Patients can walk in or be referred from general practice, UEC or NHS 111 settings to a community pharmacy for a consultation with a community pharmacist.
  • The seven common conditions include:
    • sinusitis,
    • sore throats,
    • earaches,
    • infected insect bites,
    • impetigo,
    • shingles,
    • uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women.

NHS referrals for minor illnesses

  • This allows patients with minor illnesses to be referred from general practice, UEC or NHS 111 settings to a community pharmacy for a consultation with a community pharmacist. The pharmacist will assess the patient, offer advice, recommend treatments to purchase over the counter, or refer to another setting or service if needed.

Urgent repeat medicines supply

  • This allows UEC and NHS 111 settings to refer patients to community pharmacy for a supply of an urgent repeat medicine.
  • General practices are not able to refer into this element of Pharmacy First.

Participating Pharmacies

Almost all community pharmacies in South West London have signed up to deliver the Pharmacy First service. There are two ways participating pharmacies details can be located:

  • Integrated GP IT referral system: When sending a referral via EMIS Local Services, the system will automatically return nearby pharmacies that are currently able to offer the Pharmacy First service.
  • NHS Service Finder: Tool for healthcare staff to search for live services close to a defined postcode. Search for ‘Pharmacy First’ under Type of Service. Healthcare staff can create a free log in account.

Resources for Healthcare Professionals

The following resources are available to support the implementation of the NHS Pharmacy First service

    Campaign Materials

    The assets from Community Pharmacy England – Pharmacy First: resources  can be used to promote the Pharmacy First Service

    Contacts for Support

    Contact details further support with the Pharmacy First Service: