Pharmacy First

The Pharmacy First service commenced on 31st January 2024.  294 Essex pharmacies have signed up to deliver this service.

The Advanced service involves pharmacists providing advice and NHS-funded treatment, where clinically appropriate, for seven common conditions:

• sinusitis
• sore throat
• acute otitis media
• infected insect bite
• impetigo
• shingles
• uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.

See here for Eligibility at a glance.

Funding for the Pharmacy First service

Initial fixed payment
Pharmacy owners who signed up to provide the Pharmacy First service will receive an initial fixed payment of £2,000.  This fee will be recovered from any pharmacies who have not delivered 5 clinical pathways consultations by the end of March 2024.

Ongoing fixed payments

Pharmacies who deliver the minimum required number of consultations each month will receive a monthly fixed payment of £1,000.

The minimum consultations required are shown in the following table: Month Minimum number of clinical pathways consultations passing the gateway point

Campaign materials

Now available on the Department of Health and Social Care’s Campaign Resource Centre website and include:

• A campaign toolkit;
• Social assets; and
• Posters.

View the ‘Think Pharmacy first’ resources

Community Pharmacy England also have resource materials available

Pharmacy First: Information for GPs to read more and download GP materials