Big news for healthcare access in England: Pharmacy First is expanding!
Fed up with the constant battle to get a regular appointment with a GP? Salvation is at hand. From this autumn people in England will be able to walk straight into their local high street chemist and get on-the-spot treatment for 12 common conditions—without having to see a GP first.
The scheme adds 5 new conditions to the 7 conditions that chemists could already handle.What medical conditions can pharmacists treat now?
The 5 NEW conditions are
Adult migraine, low frequency
Allergic rhinitis / hay fever in children
Ear infections in adults
Mild to moderate acne in adults and adolescents
Skin infections, mild and scabies
The 7 existing conditions are
Sore throat
Sinus infections
Ear Pain
Bites by insects
Impetigo.
Shingles
Simple UTIs (urinary tract infections)
So why does this matter?
The NHS says the rollout is designed to take heavy pressure off busy GPs and A& E departments and give people back precious time - no more taking time off work or waiting weeks just to get basic care. The service will initially be rolled out to a few hundred chemists and then will steadily grow to thousands of community pharmacies across England.
Patient advocacy groups and organizations such as the Migraine Trust are welcoming the move for an easier care pathway, but industry leaders such as the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) say funding and financial pressures on local pharmacies still need to be addressed to deal with the increased workload.
(Fun fact: Scotland has pioneered a similar model where pharmacists can treat up to 27 conditions, and Northern Ireland and Wales have similar systems!)
You can walk into your local chemist and access the service directly or be referred via NHS 111 or your GP.
How do you feel about this expansion? Pharmacy First—have you tried it? Let me know in the comments!
Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels
They do some of that here, but I don’t know the list. I guess medical systems are under stress everywhere. If they aren’t under stress, they are probably causing stress.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent and much-needed solution. Pharmacists are highly trained and possess extensive knowledge that will finally be put to use. They can address uncomplicated ailments that do not require diagnostic testing, thereby relieving the burden on medical professionals.
ReplyDeleteAquí en España que sepa no suelen dar ciertos medicamentos si previamente no son recetados por el facultativo.
ReplyDeleteNo se si en el resto del Reino Unido será igual pero en Gibraltar escuche noticias de vender las farmacias Biagra sin receta.
Saludos.