An expansion of England’s Pharmacy First service could free up 40 million GP appointments a year, a report from the Company Chemists’ Assocation has found. 

Published to mark the first anniversary of the service, the report notes that in its first nine months, community pharmacies provided nearly 1.5 million Pharmacy First consultations. The CCA estimates that the service will provide 2.5 million consultations by its current end date (April 2025) and in its present format has the potential to free up over 9 million GP appointments every year.

However, by expanding the criteria and treatments available for the existing seven conditions, and by adding new conditions, over four times as many GP appointments — 40 million — could be freed up annually, the trade body believes. This constitutes around a tenth of all GP appointments.

Other findings from the report include:

• Pharmacy First provision continues to vary regionally with a distinct divide between the north and south. Pharmacies in the Black Country, for instance, provided over two-and-a-half times more consultations than North Central London when adjusted for population size
• Almost a third (30 per cent) of all consultations have been for urinary tract infections each week — peaking at almost 40 per cent in September. This is followed by sore throat (28 per cent of consultations), infected insect bites (13 per cent), ear infections (12 per cent), sinusitis (9 per cent), impetigo (5 per cent) and shingles (3 per cent)
• Over a quarter (27 per cent) of Pharmacy First consultations have been provided in the 20 per cent most deprived communities
• Demand for consultations on Sundays is double the average of that during the week
• Data shows that patient demand is consistent throughout the month. Weekly data shows spikes in activity around bank holidays such as Easter.

Pharmacy First consultations up 10pc in week before Christmas

Recommendations

The report urges policymakers to:

• Expand the eligibility criteria of the current seven conditions to allow more patients to be treated
• Move from a PGD-led service to an independent prescribing-led service to expand pharmacists’ ability to treat more patients with these conditions, providing a launchpad for further expansion
• Increase the range of conditions covered in the service including eye infections, migraines, and chest infections, but also conditions which link with other parts of primary care, such as lower back pain and dental pain.

Malcolm Harrison, CCA chief executive, said: “In a short space of time, the community pharmacy sector has established a new access route into NHS primary care. Pharmacy First is allowing patients to be seen in a timely manner and freeing up vital GP capacity, so that they can focus on more acute and complex care. There is, however, still significant room for growth.

“It’s clear that Pharmacy First is working as intended but the NHS must now allow us to now move through the gears and expand the service to deliver greater patient access into primary care,” he added.

Financial support for the report was provided by Pfizer Ltd.

UTIs make up biggest number of Pharmacy First consultations at Lincolnshire Co-op

Click here for Pharmacy Magazine’s Pharmacy First learning hub.