Pharmacy First

When to use the NHS Pharmacy First service

Walk in for same-day assessment and treatment if you have symptoms of one of the seven conditions covered by Pharmacy First:

• Sinusitis - facial pain, congestion and discharge
• Sore throat - pain, irritation or scratchiness in the throat
• Earache - ear pain from infection or inflammation
• Infected insect bites - bites that are red, swollen, painful or filled with pus
• Impetigo - a contagious bacterial skin infection causing sores and blisters
• Shingles - a painful rash caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus
• Uncomplicated UTIs in women - pain, burning or frequent urination

If your condition falls outside this list or needs further investigation, your pharmacist will refer you to your GP or another healthcare professional.

What is Pharmacy First?

Pharmacy First is an NHS service that lets community pharmacists assess, advise and treat patients for a defined list of common conditions, supplying prescription-only medicines directly where clinically appropriate. It is free and available to anyone registered with a GP in England, with no age restriction, though under 16s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. You can use it at any participating pharmacy, wherever your GP is based.

What happens at your consultation

You are seen in a private consultation room. Your pharmacist asks when symptoms started, how severe they are and what you have already tried, along with your medical history, allergies and current medicines.

A brief examination may follow. For a sore throat, the pharmacist may use a scoring system to judge whether antibiotics will help. For a suspected UTI, you may be asked for a urine sample. All examinations are carried out with your consent.

If your condition can be managed under Pharmacy First, you get the treatment there and then, with clear instructions and advice on what to watch for. If not, you are referred to your GP with a summary of the findings. Consultations are recorded and shared with your GP practice, so your records stay up to date. Most visits take 10 to 15 minutes.

Benefits of Pharmacy First

• Same-day assessment and treatment, with no wait for a GP appointment
• Free of charge, fully funded by the NHS
• High street locations with longer opening hours than most surgeries
• Antibiotics and other prescription medicines supplied directly where appropriate
• Frees up GP and A&E capacity for more complex needs

Find Pharmacy First near you

NHS-accredited pharmacists trained in clinical assessment and prescribing, walk-in availability, private consultation rooms and extended opening hours including evenings and weekends. Use the postcode search above to find your nearest Allied Pharmacy.