Read our overview of The Pharmacy First Service

Pharmacists will offer advice and NHS-funded treatment for 7 common conditions:

• Sinusitis
• Sore throat
• Acute otitis media (earache)
• Infected insect bite
• Impetigo
• Shingles
• Uncomplicated UTIs in women.

Patients can access these services through referrals from NHS 111, GPs, authorized healthcare providers, or through self-referral. Other key points include:

• Pharmacist will follow a clinical pathway to determine appropriate treatment, providing advice and NHS-funded medicines when necessary.
• A POM treatment can be dispensed under a Patient Group Direction (PGD) or an OTC medicine, all at NHS expense.
• These services can be delivered face-to-face in a consultation room or remotely (only remotely for distance selling pharmacies (DSP)). Acute otitis media consultations must be provided face-to-face as a pharmacist needs to use an otoscope as part of the examination.
• Pharmacists must provide all parts of the service (apart from DSP who cannot provide Acute otitis media pathway).
• There must be a SOP in place for this service and all pharmacy staff involved must be familiar and adhere to the SOP.
• Pharmacy contractors payment includes a block payment, consultation fee and reimbursement for NHS medicines supplied. Pharmacies will be paid £15 per completed consultation and, from February 2024, a monthly fixed payment of £1,000 will be paid to pharmacy owners who meet a minimum activity threshold of clinical pathways consultation.

Here are some key dates for your diary:

The expanded role of pharmacists in offering advice and treatment for common conditions acknowledges their crucial contribution to local communities.

The transparent payment structure, along with the introduction of a monthly fixed payment starting February 2024, is a welcomed investment into the sector which serves to incentivise and recognise pharmacists for their active involvement in clinical pathways consultations, thereby strengthening the pivotal role of community pharmacies in the healthcare system.

Other resources

We’ve also created a one-pager which summarises the Pharmacy First Service and includes the key dates to make note of. Download it here.

References
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PRN00936-i-Community-pharmacy-advanced-service-specification-NHS-pharmacy-first-service-November-2023.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pharmacy-first-contractual-framework-2023-to-2025/pharmacy-first-letter-to-contractors