2025-09-20 · 4 min read
Pharmacy First - the seven conditions we can treat without a GP appointment
The NHS Pharmacy First service lets us assess and, where appropriate, prescribe for seven common conditions - free of charge for eligible patients, no GP referral needed.
Most people do not realise how much their pharmacist can actually do. The NHS Pharmacy First service, launched at the start of 2024, formalises something we have done informally for years: assess a handful of common conditions and, when the criteria are met, supply a prescription-only medicine without a GP appointment.
The seven conditions
- Sore throat (ages 5 and over)
- Sinusitis (ages 12 and over)
- Earache (ages 1 to 17)
- Infected insect bites (ages 1 and over)
- Impetigo (ages 1 and over)
- Shingles (ages 18 and over)
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (ages 16 to 64)
How an appointment works
Walk in or call, and we will book you into our private consultation room - usually the same day. The pharmacist will ask about your symptoms, check the relevant clinical signs, and decide whether self-care, an over-the-counter remedy or a prescription is the right next step. If a prescription is needed and you are eligible, we hand it to you before you leave.
When we will send you elsewhere
Pharmacy First is for specific, clearly defined cases. If your symptoms are outside the protocol, or if we spot a red flag, we will say so and direct you to your GP, an urgent care centre or A&E. The point of the service is not to replace the GP - it is to free their appointments up for the people who need them most.
If any of the seven conditions above sound like you, pop in. It is genuinely faster than waiting on hold.
From the team