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Community pharmacies in England have seen more than 5 million patients under the Pharmacy First scheme since it began in January 2024, NHS Business Services Authority data show.
According to data analysed by The Pharmaceutical Journal, between the end of January 2024 — when the service was introduced — and the end of February 2025, pharmacies delivered around 5.4 million Pharmacy First consultations.
Of those 5.4 million consultations, more than 2.4 million saw patients go through the seven clinical pathways provided under the service: acute otitis media, acute sore throat, impetigo, infected insect bites, shingles, sinusitis and uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women, the data revealed.
The data also show that the most common condition that patients sought help for was acute sore throats, which amounted to 835,679 consultations in England in the first 13 months of the service, followed by uncomplicated UTIs, with 665,409 consultations.
Since the service launched on 31 January 2024, community pharmacies in England also delivered:
- 292,844 acute otitis media consultations;
- 286,533 sinusitis consultations;
- 202,993 infected insect bite consultations;
- 105,373 impetigo consultations;
- 63,714 shingles consultations.
Responding to the figures, David Webb, chief pharmaceutical officer for England, thanked pharmacists and pharmacy teams “for their hard work in providing high-quality clinical advice and care to more than 5 million people”.
He described pharmacy as a “critical element” in shifting NHS care “from hospitals to the community, treatment to prevention, and analogue to digital”.
Webb also stressed that community pharmacy is “an integral part of the NHS team, providing clinical care, optimising the use of medicines and supporting people in their neighbourhoods to prevent ill health”.
Also commenting on the figures, pharmacy minister Stephen Kinnock said that “pharmacies will remain a priority” in the government’s proposed ten-year NHS plan, “so people get the care they need close to home”.
He described Pharmacy First as “a true neighbourhood health service” that was making a real difference by “providing timely care without the need for GP appointments”.
Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, added: “The latest figures are a testament to the willingness of pharmacy teams to play their part in the public’s health.
“Community pharmacy teams have done an amazing job providing the service — despite several bumps along the way — building a solid foundation from which to grow.”
The negotiator “would be keen to see the NHS ten-year plan introduce more clinical pathways and incorporate independent prescribing into Pharmacy First”, she said.
Nick Thayer, head of policy at the Company Chemists’ Association, said: “Pharmacies offer an additional access route for patients seeking urgent care. With their convenient high street locations and extended opening hours across evenings and weekends, patients typically visit their community pharmacist twelve times more than their GP.
“Our data shows that over one-quarter (27%) of Pharmacy First consultations took place in the 20% most deprived areas, and amongst our members, demand on Sundays is double the average of that during the week. Pharmacy First is clearly meeting patient demand and creating vital capacity in primary care.”
Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, told The Pharmaceutical Journal: “It’s good news that the Pharmacy First scheme in England has passed the landmark 5 million consultation mark — around 8% of the population. This is a testament to the hard work of community pharmacies and their teams.
“However, with around a third of the population having accessed Pharmacy First in Scotland during the same period, we know there’s a lot of untapped potential. If the same was to be replicated in England, around 20 million patients a year could be accessing this service.
“Much greater engagement of GPs is crucial to the programme’s success, as well as a sustained public awareness campaign, because levels of understanding of Pharmacy First and its benefits are still low.”
Exclusive data obtained by The Pharmaceutical Journal in December 2024 showed significant variation in GP referrals to Pharmacy First across England.
The government is expected to publish its NHS ten-year health plan in spring 2025.
