Pharmacy First Service
Written by AlisonFreemantle on Thursday 16th November 2023
Launch date 31st January 2024
The new Pharmacy First service for seven common conditions will launch on 31st January 2024 (IT dependent) as an Advanced Service.
The service will be available as a ‘walk in’ service as well as for those patients referred by NHS 111, GPs and others. The new service will also incorporate the existing Community Pharmacist Consultation Service.
People with symptoms suggestive of the seven conditions will have a consultation with the pharmacist and will be provided with advice and will be supplied, where clinically necessary, with a prescription-only treatment under a Patient Group Direction (PGD).
The seven conditions are:
- sinusitis,
- sore throat,
- acute otitis media,
- infected insect bite,
- impetigo,
- shingles
- uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.
Links to the Clinical Knowledge Summaries can be found here:
Pharmacies will be paid £15 per consultation.
A set-up fee of £2,000 will be available to claim from December up to the launch of the Pharmacy First service, which will be reclaimed if the pharmacy does not provide five consultations by the end of March 2024.
An otoscope will be required to deliver the service. If you do not already have one, please wait until the service specification (and details on the otoscope) is published before purchasing one.
Distance Selling Pharmacies (DSPs) will be able to provide six of the seven Pharmacy First clinical pathways remotely via video consultations but may not provide consultations on their premises. The acute otitis media clinical pathway requires the use of an otoscope, so this pathway will not be provided by DSPs.
From February 2024, in addition to the £15 consultation fee, a monthly fixed payment of £1,000 will be paid to pharmacies who meet a minimum activity threshold for the number of Pharmacy First clinical consultations.
For more details and monthly minimum activity details:
Further information on the service changes will be discussed in the CPE Recovery Plan webinars on either 27th or 28th November 2023.
To register: