More pharmacies in England to prescribe medication from autumn
Summary
More pharmacies in England will be able to prescribe medicines starting in autumn as part of the Pharmacy First scheme. This change aims to make healthcare faster and reduce the workload on doctors and hospitals. However, pharmacy groups say the funding is still not enough to cover rising costs.Key Facts
- The Pharmacy First scheme allows pharmacists to prescribe for certain illnesses like sore throat and earache.
- Starting this autumn, five more common illnesses will be added to the list that pharmacists can treat.
- The government is investing £340 million to support this expansion.
- Over 3.3 million consultations happened through the scheme between March 2025 and February 2026.
- Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said this expansion will help patients get care closer to home and reduce pressure on doctors.
- Pharmacy groups say the funding does not cover rising business costs like rent and medicine prices.
- The National Pharmacy Association and Independent Pharmacies Association say many pharmacies may struggle financially despite the changes.
- There is a £2.5 billion funding gap in NHS pharmacy services identified by the NHS itself a year ago.
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