The Pharmacy First service in England has had the “strongest start” of any national service launch for the sector in terms of consultation numbers, an analysis of data provided by large pharmacy multiples indicates.

The Company Chemists’ Association has today (March 19) published data from its members for the first month of the service, showing that between January 31 and March 3 multiples recorded 48,195 consultations.

This equates to almost 1,500 a day across all CCA members, with the average branch seeing 3.5 patients per week. “This level of activity is the strongest start of any new national pharmacy-led service,” the trade body said as it praised the “commitment from pharmacy teams” and predicted that demand will rise further as patient awareness increases.

Ranking the seven common conditions in the service’s advice and treatment pathway, the CCA data indicates that acute sore throat and uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) account for the lion’s share of consultations, comprising 31 per cent and 27 per cent of consultations respectively while otitis media accounted for 16 per cent. The least commonly used pathways were infected insect bites (three per cent) and shingles (four per cent).

Pharmacy First is being used two and a half times more by patients in areas of higher deprivation than those in the least deprived areas, said the CCA (30 per cent of consultations versus 12 per cent). The organisation said this underlined the importance of the service in offering “access to healthcare where it is most needed”.

Meanwhile, the findings show that 29 per cent of consultations were provided outside of “core” opening hours, defined as Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm, with the CCA commenting that this out of hours access is “invaluable” for those living in deprived areas.

The organisation welcomed the strong start to the service from its members but said the Government must do more to ensure its continued success, including making a commitment to fund Pharmacy First beyond the current cut-off date in 2025, spending more on “high quality and targeted” awareness campaigns and expanding the “scope of care” offered through the service.  

CCA chief executive Malcolm Harrison said: “Pharmacy First has been a long time coming and now it is here, the early signs show it is already delivering for patients and the NHS.

“Our members delivered nearly 50,000 NHS Pharmacy First consultations in the first month, which is an incredible achievement when you consider the tremendous workload and funding pressures they are all currently under.”

Mr Harrison said the uptake findings for deprived communities “proves our long-held belief” that nationally commissioned pharmacy services “immediately benefit those who need access to care the most”.

He said pharmacies “can do a whole lot more to stop the 8am GP ‘scramble’” but will need long-term funding for the service and a commitment to “address historic underfunding of other core pharmacy services,” without which more pharmacies will close, making it “harder for patients to obtain the medicines they need”.