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Nearly four in five respondents to a YouGov poll said they would like pharmacies to provide advice and treatment for additional conditions, such as chest infections and skin conditions.
Results of the poll, published on 28 January 2025, revealed that 78% of adults in England would support the expansion of pharmacy roles to treat additional conditions.
The poll of 1,818 people also revealed that a similar proportion of the public support pharmacies providing a wider range of vaccinations beyond COVID-19 and flu vaccines, and menopause advice and prescriptions, at 79% and 78%, respectively.
More than 80% of respondents support pharmacies providing contraceptive advice and prescriptions, and regular asthma or diabetes checks, at 84% and 83%, respectively.
In a statement published on 14 February 2025, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) said the results highlight growing demand and public support for pharmacy services and the opportunity to expand Pharmacy First.
CPE also pointed out that Pharmacy First, to which more than 10,000 pharmacies (96%) are signed up, had delivered nearly 2 million consultations in its first year.
However, pharmacy leaders have warned that without urgent financial support, pharmacies may be unable to sustain or expand the service.
Janet Morrison, chief executive of CPE, said: “Pharmacy First has already proven to be a vital service, helping millions of patients across the country while freeing up GPs to focus on more complex health needs.
“Pharmacies have done an incredible job delivering this service under immense financial and operational pressure. However, to sustain this, they need greater support and further investment.”
Nick Kaye, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “We now need to look to a future where pharmacies are trusted to deliver more clinical services, with the right funding to achieve this.
“To help deliver the shift to primary care envisaged for the NHS ‘Ten-year health plan’, pharmacies need to have the confidence to invest in services like Pharmacy First, which have so much potential to free up capacity elsewhere in the system and ease waiting times.”
Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said: “Pharmacy First certainly is a step in the right direction for community pharmacy and primary care as a whole, but a year on and it has been an uphill climb.
“The main concern for community pharmacy remains the lack of adequate core funding. The sector needs the headroom to be able to manage debt then move forward with a remuneration model that gives both stability and the potential to invest, plan and prepare for the future.”
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), said that CCA data show that 94% of eligible patients get the care they need within a pharmacy.
He added: “It’s time to expand Pharmacy First so that even more GP capacity can be freed up. We estimate as many as 40 million GP appointments could be freed up annually. However, it’s imperative that the sector is stabilised first. A decade of underfunding has caused untenable pressure, with over 1,200 pharmacy closures since 2017.”
Pharmacy First launched in England on 31 January 2024 and covers seven common conditions: acute otitis media; impetigo; infected insect bites; shingles; sinusitis; sore throat; and uncomplicated urinary tract infections.
In January 2025, John Swinney, first minister for Scotland, said he would like to expand the Scottish Pharmacy First service, which launched in 2020, to cover more conditions. The service currently covers 29 minor health concerns, such as sore throat, earache, cold sores and urinary tract infections.
