Everything you need to know as patients told to see pharmacist before GP
Pharmacists can now prescribe antibiotics without patients having to see a doctor under a ‘Pharmacy First’ service launched by the NHS in England.
Patients can go straight to their community pharmacist for a walk-in appointment and be treated for seven common illnesses - no longer having to see their family doctor to get a prescription.
It follows similar schemes launched in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. NHS England said it would free up 10million GP appointments a year.
Here we explain how the Pharmacy First service will work in practice as pharma businesses are paid to take some of the workload from NHS England’s short-staffed family doctors.
What conditions can I now go straight to a pharmacist for?
Sinusitis - typical symptoms include blocked nose, sinus headache, as well as pain, swelling, and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead
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- typical symptoms include painful throat, possibly dry and scratchy, with a redness at the back of the mouth.
Ear ache - A young child might have earache if they rub or pull their ear, or do not react to some sounds, become irritable and off their food, or have a temperature of 38C or above.
Infected insect bites - symptoms include pain where you were bitten or stung, swelling and sometimes pus will indicate an infection.
Impetigo - This can see itchy, red sores or blisters which can quickly burst and leave crusty, golden-brown patches.
Shingles - This can present as tingling or painful feeling on an area of skin, headache and generally feeling unwell, and a rash on one side of the body.
Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged under 65 - Symptoms include pain or a burning sensation when peeing, needing to pee more often, and pee that looks cloudy or has blood. Other telltale signs include lower tummy pain, pain in your back or just under the ribs.
Will I be seen in a private room?
The Company Chemists Association, which represents the large pharmacy operators, said patients would be seen in a private consultation room for confidential appointments.
All participating pharmacies will have this facility.
Victoria Kinnaird, pharmacist at a Boots store in Glasgow, said: “My patients tell me that the service is convenient for them. I’ve also had positive feedback from local GP surgeries as it frees up their capacity.”
If the condition turns out to be more serious, or not one of the seven qualifying conditions, then pharmacists can refer the patient for a GP appointment.
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Will I get an immediate consultation with a pharmacist?
It is a ‘walk-in’ service - meaning you don’t need an appointment.
Dr Nick Thayer, head of policy at the Company Chemists’ Association, said: “Every pharmacy will probably manage their patients differently, depending on what else they do and what their patients want.
“Some pharmacies may offer appointments if patients want them. Part of this is unknown as no-one knows how many people will be attending pharmacies.
“I suspect that many patients will be seen quickly. Some may be offered the option to return at a quieter time if the pharmacy is very busy.
“However most of pharmacy works on walk-in basis such as taking your prescription into the pharmacy. They will have a system for managing ebbs and flows in workload.”
Can I still see my GP for these seven conditions if I want to?
Yes. Dr Thayer explained: “Patients can absolutely still go to their GP for these illnesses.
“Some patients will always choose to for a whole host of different reasons. This is about expanding the capacity of the NHS, providing more options, and crucially access.
“There are more pharmacies than GP surgeries, they are often closer to people’s homes and work, and many are open evenings and weekends.
“Getting same day appointments with a GP can be challenging so for these common conditions many people will choose to receive same day care from their local pharmacist rather than risk the problem getting worse waiting for a GP appointment.”
What does this mean for the NHS?
The Pharmacy First scheme has been broadly welcomed for reducing the burden on GP services which have seen an exodus of family doctors.
The NHS already pays pharmacies to carry out certain functions and this scheme will see them paid an extra £645million, which the Government says it has provided as additional funding.
Critics argue Pharmacy First does not tackle the root of the problem in primary care but most agree it will help.
A Community Pharmacy England paper has shown systemic pharmacy funding cuts of at least 25% in real terms since 2015.
So there will be limits to the extent that pharmacies - which have reduced in number in recent years - can take up workload from the NHS.
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