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Pharmacy First

The Pharmacy First scheme provides professional health care advice, treatments, and medicines for common illnesses from your local pharmacy, without the need for an appointment.

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Pharmacies delivered over 230,000 Pharmacy First consultations in Devon last year

There was a 154 per cent increase on 2024 in patients’ use of pharmacies’ free blood pressure checks and contraceptive services.

01 May 2026

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NHS spends £2m on Pharmacy First advertising ‘rerun’

Kinnock reveals amount spent to repeat Pharmacy First awareness campaign in 2025-26

13 Apr 2026

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Health minister hints migraine could be added to Pharmacy First in Lords debate

Baroness Merron was asked if Labour will “include and fund” migraine in the scheme.

24 Mar 2026

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Coroner: Failure to renew methotrexate advice since Pharmacy First creates ‘ambiguity’

Guidelines from 2017 now lead to 'ambiguity' since Pharmacy First launch, inquest finds

25 Feb 2026

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‘Review NHSBSA performance’: Minister grilled on ‘withheld’ Pharmacy First payments

Health minister faces intense questioning on Pharmacy First payment challenges

13 Feb 2026

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Kinnock: Over 1,500 pharmacies secured lower Pharmacy First threshold payment in June

Health minister Stephen Kinnock said 1,565 contractors received £500 for completing 20 to 29 consultations in June 2025.

07 Jan 2026

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BMA will hold ballot to decide whether to proceed with pharmacy-related measures

The British Medical Association will ballot members on measures such as reallocating Pharmacy First funding to general practice.

19 Nov 2025

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NHS app excludes Pharmacy First, so let’s build our own ‘digital front door’

Pharmacist Baba Akomolafe criticised the government for excluding Pharmacy First from the NHS app.

12 Nov 2025

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LMCs to vote on ‘reallocating’ Pharmacy First money to general practice

General practice 'undermined' by pharmacy services, LMC conference to hear

30 Oct 2025

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NHSBSA stonewalling us over £1,600 in lost Pharmacy First earnings, says Swindon contractor

'Bureaucracy overruling common sense' says contractor struggling with BSA intransigence

10 Sep 2025

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Reminder: Revised Pharmacy First clinical pathways from October

The updated pathways contain new Gateway Points and will come into effect in October.

02 Sep 2025

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Boots tops a million Pharmacy First consultations

'A significant moment' says the company's services director.

15 Aug 2025

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Pharmacies asked to record sore throat consultations for PQS audit

Audit will focus on antimicrobial stewardship in sore throat consultations.

12 Aug 2025

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Acute sinusitis: treatment and management

Learn how to identify sinusitis and understand the role of sea water spray in managing associated congestion

23 Jul 2025

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Introducing Strefen Spray

Discover how Strefen Spray can help ease your customers’ acute sore throat symptoms

21 Jul 2025

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NPA chair reminds public about Pharmacy First UTI help after report warns of hospital costs

A Government report today warns urinary tract infections cost hospitals in England £604 million in 2023 to 2024.

15 Jul 2025

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