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Think Pharmacy First for convenient and expert clinical advice and treatment

Published
Pharmacy First is an NHS service that enables community pharmacists to assess, treat, and, where clinically appropriate, prescribe prescription-only medicines for seven common health conditions, without the need to visit a GP. All pharmacies in Gloucestershire provide this service. Most of the conditions are likely to be common amongst school-age children. Using the Pharmacy First service will be more convenient and quicker than making an appointment at a GP surgery.

The seven health conditions and age ranges are:

·       Sinusitis (aged 12 and over)

·       Sore throat (aged 5 and over)

·       Shingles (aged 18 and over)

·       Earache (children aged 1 to 17)

·       Impetigo (aged 1 and over)

·       Infected insect bite (aged 1 and over)

·       Urinary tract infection (women aged 16 to 64)

People can get treatment for these conditions by walking into a pharmacy, via a formal electronic referral from their GP surgery or via NHS111. All pharmacies have private consultation rooms so that concerns can be discussed in confidence. 

If the pharmacist is unable to treat the illness, they will recommend the most appropriate alternative services. 

 

Community pharmacy teams are highly skilled, qualified healthcare professionals and experts in medicines.