Patients across England will this autumn be able to visit their local pharmacy and receive immediate treatment for 12 everyday health conditions, bypassing the need for a GP appointment.
The expansion of the Pharmacy First scheme adds five new ailments to the seven already covered, as NHS England seeks to relieve mounting pressure on general practices and accident and emergency departments following three record-breaking months of A&E demand over a sweltering summer.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said people were “fed up with the scramble for routine appointments” and wanted accessible care without taking time off work.
“For five more common conditions, you’ll be able to walk into your local pharmacy and get treated on the spot,” he said, adding that families would gain back “precious time”.
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The newly added conditions include low-frequency migraines in adults, ear infections in adults, mild to moderate acne in young people and adults, hay fever or allergic rhinitis in children, and mild skin infections and scabies.
These join the seven ailments pharmacists could already prescribe for: sore throat, sinusitis, earache, insect bites, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections.
NHS England has said a few hundred chemists will initially treat the five additional conditions.
The service will then be extended gradually, with thousands of community pharmacies across the country eventually offering the full range.
Beyond prescribing, high street pharmacies already provide support including blood pressure monitoring, contraception services, smoking cessation advice, and flu and Covid vaccinations.
The Migraine Trust welcomed the announcement, having long campaigned for greater pharmacy involvement in migraine care.
Chief executive Rob Music described the move as “a wonderful opportunity for a faster and improved care pathway” for sufferers.
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS England’s director for primary care and community services, said the aim was to ensure patients receive as much support as possible locally, “so they do not have to be admitted to hospital unnecessarily”.
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The Pharmacy First programme has already demonstrated considerable reach since launching in 2024, delivering roughly 14 million consultations.
Of those, approximately two million were for sore throats and 1.7 million addressed urinary tract infections.
Despite the expansion, pharmacy representative bodies have consistently warned that government funding falls short of what is needed to support the additional workload.
Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “Pharmacies are still under significant financial pressures.”
He urged ministers to “go much further and invest in our pharmacy network that has the power to transform people’s experience of everyday health issues.”
England’s scheme draws on a Scottish model that currently allows chemists to treat patients for 27 separate conditions.
Northern Ireland and Wales operate similar programmes.
Patients in England can access the service by walking into their local chemist directly, or through referrals from NHS 111 or their GP.
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