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The Company Chemists Association (CCA) has published a report highlighting the key findings of a roundtable it hosted earlier this month. The CCA convened the virtual roundtable to examine the best practice undertaken by a cross-section of LPCs to promote the delivery of the Pharmacy First service. Key recommendations for how LPCs can help support pharmacy contractors to deliver the Pharmacy First service include: Direct engagement with NHS regions who can supply funding to drive Pharmacy First engagement and promotional activity. Engagement with a variety of staff within GP surgeries, ranging from reception staff to GP partners, to drive referrals, as well as build understanding and awareness of the benefits to General Practice. Harnessing data to inform GP surgeries how they are performing locally Using data to ensure pharmacies close any open referrals promptly. Using multiple channels to promote the service, including the sharing of best practice, myth busting, use of data and creating tools which can be readily used by pharmacies and GPs. Encouraging pharmacy staff to highlight the Pharmacy First service to customers - with specific emphasis on the provision of NHS-funded care, timely access and convenience the service provides. The CCA said the report is intended to support all LPCs and pharmacy contractors as they work together to care for patients requiring urgent NHS care in their community.

Ensuring comprehensive healthcare services for the community necessitates collaboration between pharmacies and GP surgeries. However, several pharmacists have voiced concerns about a lack of cooperation from their local GPs in implementing the Pharmacy First (PF) service. In a survey conducted by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) covering 470 pharmacies across England, three-quarters of pharmacists (77 per cent) indicated that local GP practices are not appropriately referring patients to the new service. The survey highlighted instances of patients either not being referred or being referred but found ineligible for support through Pharmacy First. Additionally, one in five NPA members (19 per cent) felt that their local GP practices were not engaging with the initiative at all. Commenting on the issue, NPA chair Nick Kaye said: "Feedback from across our network suggests that the rollout of Pharmacy First varies considerably from area to area.

Pharmacies are valuable healthcare assets, meeting increasing public demand. However, a substantial portion of their capacity is consumed by unfunded work. According to Community Pharmacy England's (CPE) 2024 Pharmacy Advice Audit, community pharmacies conduct over 1.3 million unfunded consultations each week, equating to 69 million annually. The average pharmacy completes around 22 of these consultations daily, each taking approximately 5.6 minutes of staff time -adding up to over two hours daily. This represents nearly 50 per cent more consultations than in 2020 and a 78 per cent increase in time spent on unfunded healthcare advice since the 2020 audit. The audit, which surveyed over a third (3,916) of community pharmacies in England earlier this year, also highlights that pharmacies handle nearly 150,000 informal referrals from GPs and NHS 111 each week. All these referrals could have been routed through the Pharmacy First service, which would have potentially secured over £115 million in funding for the sector, the CPE noted.

In a recent report released by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA), data from the NHS Pharmacy First service indicates a substantial uptake and positive impact on patient care just two months after its launch. The CCA's findings shed light on the service's efficacy in meeting patient needs and its potential to alleviate pressure on General Practices (GPs) within the NHS. According to the report, over 90,000 Pharmacy First consultations were conducted solely by CCA members within the initial two-month period. Impressively, 88 per cent of these consultations, totaling 81,627, were deemed eligible for NHS-funded care indicating a significant demand for the service among patients. In the first month, the data revealed that more than 90 per cent of eligible patients received necessary care directly through Pharmacy First, bypassing the need for further referral.

As NHS England prepares to relaunch its Pharmacy First public-facing campaign on Monday, 11 November, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has highlighted the need for a sustained, large-scale effort to maximize the service's impact. Minor updates have been made to the original campaign materials from earlier this year, including additional information on the age criteria for the clinical pathways. Community pharmacies are informed that campaign materials are available on the Department of Health and Social Care's Campaign Resource Centre website. These include a campaign toolkit, social media assets, and posters. These materials can be used ahead of the official launch date. CPE chief executive Janet Morrison said: "It's good that we are finally seeing the resumption of the NHS Pharmacy First marketing campaign, alongside new resources to help with promotion, as we head into winter.