Pharmacy First – from Brockwood Medical Practice
The ‘Pharmacy First’ has been set up by NHS England to help manage patient workload. Many patients that attend for acute on the day issues could be seen by a trained pharmacist who can offer advice and supply some NHS medicines where clinically appropriate and under strict clinical pathways.
These are the conditions where your surgery can refer a patient to a pharmacy:
- Uncomplicated UTI for women 16-64yrs
- Shingles 18yr+
- Impetigo 1yr+
- Infected insect bites 1yr+
- Sinusitis 12yr+
- Sore throat 5yr+
- Earache 1-17yrs
All pharmacies who have signed up for the Pharmacy First can treat these conditions. Patients will contact their surgery in the usual way. If suitable the surgery will refer to the pharmacy and the pharmacy will contact the patient directly. The outcome is then added to the patient’s record.
If you do need some medical advice on a non-urgent issue you may also want to consider using your pharmacies more. They are extremely knowledgeable well trained but typically underutilised.