Over 400,000 patients used the common ailments service in Wales in 2024, the Welsh Government has said. 

The service, which launched in 2013, enables pharmacies to provide free advice and treatment for 28 common illnesses.

Additionally, just under a third of Wales’s 689 pharmacies offer an independent prescribing service, enabling pharmacists to treat ear, skin and respiratory infections among other conditions. 

Health secretary Jeremy Miles said: “We know there is a very high demand for GP services in Wales, with around 1.6 million people contacting their practice each month.

“For most common health concerns, your local pharmacy is the best option, providing free and easy access to treatment. 

“We are working with the NHS to provide more care in the community, closer to people’s homes and to make it easier to choose the right service for their health needs.”

Pharmacist Gwawr Davies-Jones of High Street Pharmacy in Barry said: “Instead of being in the dispensary, we are now in the consultation room for the most part of the day offering clinical services. 

“On average we undertake more than 20 consultations every day, ranging from providing contraception to emergency medicine supplies.

“The demand for advice on common conditions in the community is great, providing pharmacists with an opportunity to share advice and treatment with their patients, including prescribing antibiotics and other prescription only medicines where indicated without the need to see a GP, freeing up much-needed appointments for people with more complex conditions.

“We feel we offer an invaluable service to our community. The services we offer alleviate pressures on the NHS, providing great satisfaction to pharmacists knowing that they are doing their bit.”

Other service launches in recent years include emergency contraception provision and annual flu jabs.

The Welsh Government said it has bolstered these service expansions with “substantial funding, increasing its investment by 24 per cent since 2016 to 2017, with an additional £9.9m this year”.