An expert group convened in Parliament this week (20 November) to discuss the current operation and future expansion of the NHS Pharmacy First service in England.
The event was organised jointly by the Company Chemists’ Association and the National Pharmacy Association, and hosted by Helen Morgan MP, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health.
Representatives from the Department, NHS England, think-tanks, patient groups, and general practice discussed the benefits delivered so far, and how to maximise the service’s impact.
Attendees heard that up to 1.5m patient appointments had been transferred over to community pharmacies as of October 2024. Data presented at the event showed how patients were accessing the service across the entire week, demonstrating how pharmacies can provide convenient out-of-hours access to healthcare.
They also considered a roadmap for expanding Pharmacy First by broadening the eligibility of existing conditions, adding further conditions and integrating independent prescribing.
CCA Chair, Dame Barbara Hakin, who chaired the event said:
“I was delighted to chair the roundtable on Pharmacy First. The service continues to show tremendous benefits to patients at a critical time for the NHS.
It’s clear that expanding Pharmacy First could address many of the challenges the NHS is facing – by freeing up GP capacity, addressing health inequalities, and preventing illness altogether.
The CCA’s own analysis shows that an expanded Pharmacy First service could free up 30m+ GP appointments a year”.
Nick Kaye, Chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said:
“Pharmacy First can be a game-changing service in terms of delivering the shift to primary care envisaged for the NHS 10 Year Health Plan. It is already benefiting patients and the NHS, but we must be ambitious about its scope, scale and accessibility. The quality of clinical care provided through Pharmacy First is fantastic, and it ought to be more straightforward to engage with the service, whether you are a patient, a worried parent, a GP or a pharmacist.
“By bringing a range of stakeholders together at this roundtable event, we are acknowledging that there is work for all of us to do – and that growing Pharmacy First could be a huge win-win for everyone, especially patients.”