Overview

• England’s Pharmacy First allows pharmacists to assess and supply prescription treatment for impetigo, infected insect bites, earache, sore throat, sinusitis, shingles and uncomplicated UTIs in women aged 16–64, with age and eligibility rules applying.
• More than 10,000 community pharmacies are providing the service, offering same-day access without the need to see a GP first.
• Public guidance highlights 12 additional minor ailments that pharmacies can help manage, including coughs and colds, allergies, aches and pains, digestive upsets, skin rashes and minor eye problems.
• Pharmacists will refer patients to a GP, NHS 111 or A&E if symptoms are severe, persistent or outside the pharmacist’s scope.
• The renewed push comes as winter demand grows, building on England’s January 2024 rollout that followed Scotland’s earlier model to ease pressure on GP services.