PHARMACIES in England will be able to treat seven new conditions without the need to see a GP from today.
More than 10,000 chemists – around nine out of 10 – will offer the service as part of a “major transformation in the way the NHS delivers care”.
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From today, pharmacies will be able to treat seven new conditions without the need to see a general practitionerCredit: Getty
People with sinus infections, sore throats, earaches, infected insect bites, impetigo, zoster and some urinary tract infections will be able to walk into their pharmacy for care.
The plans will free up 10 million GP appointments a year, according to the NHS.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “This is about getting people the treatment they need closer to home, while crucially helping deliver our plan to reduce waiting lists.
“Community pharmacies are already doing tremendous work in treating minor conditions and we are determined to go further and unlock their full potential to deliver routine care.”
The Pharmacy First scheme was first announced in May 2023 and the contraceptive pill became available to women without a prescription in pharmacies in December.
Antibiotics for the seven new conditions will also now be available from high street pharmacies, including Boots.
Pharmacists will be able to conduct consultations, ask questions and perform examinations, but not diagnostic tests.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS, said: “This is great news for patients.
“With an aging population and growing demand, we know the NHS needs to give people more choice and make access to care as easy as possible.
“This is all part of a major transformation in the way the NHS delivers care, and the health service is determined to give people more choice in how they access treatment.”
Health Secretary Victoria Atkin said: “This initiative will have real benefits for patients and will help reduce NHS waiting lists.
“The expansion of Pharmacy First will mean patients can get treatment for common conditions without having to see their GP first.”
dr. Leyla Hannbeck, of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, welcomed the move but warned that pharmacies were “seriously underfunded by £1.2bn”.
She said: “This grip of chronic underfunding must be broken to ensure our pharmacies continue to exist and can deliver the potential the Government expects.”
Paul Rees, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said the scheme would “harness the strength of pharmacists as medicines experts” and free up GPs for other work.
It’s all part of a major transformation in the way the NHS delivers care
Amanda Pritchard, NHS Chief Executive
He said: “Patients will receive convenient clinical advice, close to where they live, work and shop.
“The pharmacy sector is under a lot of pressure, but despite this, the pharmacy teams will step up and successfully provide this very useful service.
“This could be a springboard for the development of other NHS clinical services in the future, as patients become more familiar with going to their local pharmacy for primary care.”
It comes after the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called for the morning-after pill to be available from supermarket and petrol station shelves.
Doctors from the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health said that pills for emergency contraception should be reclassified from pharmacy to those for general sale.
Which 7 conditions will pharmacists be able to treat from today?
Pharmacists across England will be able to assess and treat patients
- Sinus infection
- Sore throat
- Pain in the ear
- Infected insect bites
- Impetigo
- Shingles
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women younger than 65 years
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Source: HIS Education