Patients to get quicker treatment for migraines, acne and 3 other everyday conditions at pharmacies

Patients will be able to get quicker, more convenient treatment for migraines, acne and 3 other everyday conditions at hundreds of pharmacies in England from autumn, without needing to see their GP first.

People will be able to walk into their participating high street pharmacy and get on-the-spot treatment for acne, migraines, scabies, ear infections and rhinitis from participating pharmacies, helping make people’s everyday lives easier.

The expansion of the Pharmacy First Scheme allows people to get care for certain common conditions from qualified pharmacists, meaning they can walk into a high street pharmacy at a time that fits with their everyday schedule rather than having to book an appointment with a GP in order to get treatment.

The move will also help to ease pressure on GPs and A&E departments ahead of what could be another record-breaking winter for the NHS, ensuring emergency services can focus on those who need them most while making sure people can easily and conveniently access care for common health conditions.

NHS figures show there were more than 77,000 hospital admissions for diseases of the ear, 47,500 linked to migraines, 5,000 for vasomotor and allergic rhinitis, and 681 for scabies in 2024/25.

Once fully rolled out, evidence suggests 2 to 3 million consultations for the 5 conditions could take place each year in community pharmacies.

The ramping up of winter preparations follows the health service experiencing it’s 3 busiest months ever recorded in A&Es between May and July.

Thousands of pharmacies already offer people support for 7 common conditions through the initiative known as Pharmacy First.

New figures show the service has delivered 14 million consultations since its launch in February 2024 including 2 million appointments for acute sore throats, and more than 1.7 million for urinary tract infections.

Around 4 in 5 people in England live within a 20-minute walk of a community pharmacy, making it easier for patients to access NHS care closer to home.

The NHS has rolled out the first phase of its flu programme to protect families ahead of winter, with millions of children and pregnant women able to get their flu vaccinations from 1 September.

Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England said: “Thanks to community pharmacy teams, millions of people have received treatment for common conditions quickly and conveniently on their local high streets with the NHS determined to make it as easy as possible for people to get help.

“As the NHS steps up winter preparations, we want to make sure that patients can get as much support as possible in their communities, so they do not have to be admitted to hospital unnecessarily.

“That’s why participating pharmacies will start offering help for new common conditions such as acne, migraines and ear infections – without needing to get a GP appointment first – so they’re freed up for people who need them most in the colder months”.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “People are fed up with the scramble for routine appointments. They want help when they need it, close to home. That’s exactly what this delivers – no more taking time off work or waiting hours to get seen.

“For 5 more common conditions, you’ll be able to walk into your local pharmacy and get treated on the spot.

“This is change families will feel in their day-to-day lives as we build a better Britain. Treating people closer to home means catching problems earlier, easing pressure on GPs and A&E, and giving people back precious time”.

Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said: “Pharmacy First is helping millions of people across the country get faster, easier care, closer to home already. Being able to go to your local pharmacy for more everyday conditions will make it easier for people across the country to get advice and care when they need it.

“Community pharmacies are vital to shifting care into the community, and this initiative makes the most of our skilled pharmacists so patients can get on-the-spot treatment. It also helps ease pressures on other parts of the NHS with early intervention”.

Louise, 46, from Bristol knew about the expanded services on offer in her local community pharmacy from adverts in her local newspaper.

She has seen her community pharmacist for sinusitis symptoms on 2 separate occasions, where she was examined and received prescription only medicine without needing to book an appointment with her GP.

Louise also went straight to her pharmacy when her 4-year-old daughter complained of reduced hearing, receiving advice and over the counter medicine from her pharmacist.

Louise said: “I’ve had a fantastic experience with my local pharmacy. As its close by, it’s been convenient to drop in and be seen quickly when my family or I have had a minor illness.

“I’ve been given prescription-only medicine for sinusitis and treatment for an ear issue my daughter had, without needing to call up my GP. It’s saved me a lot of time and it’s really reassuring that I can pop in and get help quickly, particularly for my little one”.

Rob Music, Chief Executive of The Migraine Trust said: “We are delighted that migraine is being added to the Pharmacy First Scheme. Following a successful project in Scotland highlighting the opportunities that better migraine support at a local pharmacy level can have, The Migraine Trust has been calling for a wider rollout of migraine care within pharmacy settings.

“Our recent research highlighted that people with migraine can struggle to access timely care, and NHS England patients being able to have this support through their local pharmacy is a wonderful opportunity for a faster and improved care pathway”.

Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England said: “Community pharmacists already play an important role in helping people to manage minor illnesses, and we welcome plans to further develop the well-received Pharmacy First Service.

“The expanded offering will make better use of pharmacists’ expertise and give patients quicker access to advice and treatment for a wider range of ailments. It also paves the way for pharmacists to be core community clinicians, cementing their role in neighbourhood health services”.

Pharmacies play a vital role in communities, and the government is backing them to help more people access care conveniently in their neighbourhoods.

This includes:

• making the ‘morning-after pill’ available free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS for the first time ever, ending the postcode lottery women face in accessing the medicine and reducing inequalities
• offering patients suffering depression convenient support at pharmacies when they are prescribed antidepressants, to boost mental health support in the community
• cutting red tape and bureaucracy to give patients easier access to consultations, with more of the pharmacy team able to deliver a wider number of services such as:
  • medicines and prescriptions advice
  • Pharmacy First consultations for minor conditions
  • carrying out blood pressure checks
  • boosting financial incentives for pharmacists to identify patients with undiagnosed high blood pressure
  • boosting funding for medicine supply so patients have better access to the medicines prescribed for them

There are 10,000 community NHS pharmacies in England.

Of the 14 million consultations through Pharmacy First:

• 3 million consultations were following minor illness referrals from NHS111 and general practice
• 3.5 million consultations for urgent medicine supplies
• 7 million consultations for common conditions including sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (under the age of 65)
• there were 47,536 hospital admissions with migraines recorded as a contributing factor in 2024-25
• there were 77,441 hospital admissions with diseases of the ear recorded as a contributing factor in 2024-25
• There were 4,677 hospital admissions with vasomotor and allergic rhinitis as a contributing factor in 2024-25.
• there were 681 hospital admissions with scabies recorded as a contributing factor in 2024-25
• the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2026/27 agreement committed to introduce a national NHS prescribing service from community pharmacy, as an extension of Pharmacy First and the Pharmacy Contraception Service, starting from autumn 2026 for the initial small number of community pharmacies that become a prescribing pharmacy in 2026/27. The service includes prescribing within existing Pharmacy First clinical pathways and the Pharmacy Contraception Service, plus 5 new Pharmacy First prescribing only clinical pathways which are:
  • low frequency episodic migraine in adults
  • seasonal allergic rhinitis in children
  • acute otitis externa in adults
  • mild to moderate acne in young people and adults
  • mild skin and soft tissue infections and scabies
• Pharmacies in which a pharmacist with a prescribing qualification is employed will be able to apply to become a prescribing pharmacy under the new rules, allowing the prescriber to assess patients and prescribe medicines directly for those conditions covered by the Pharmacy First Service. This delivers on-the-spot care for common conditions and gives patients access to a wider range of medicines. [To note that prescribing can only be offered for the 7 +5 pathways not all minor illness referrals]
• The Pharmacy Quality Scheme is open to all pharmacies delivering Pharmacy First and Contraception services to support clinical audit of the Pharmacy First Service and peer review for pharmacists delivering the service. This initiative is targeted at improving the quality of service delivery for patients and inform future service improvements.

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