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The launch of Pharmacy First marked a significant milestone in community healthcare, empowering pharmacists to play a greater role in frontline patient care, writes Kavita Datar MPharm, marketing lead at Haleon

In its first year alone, the programme has successfully facilitated two million consultations, helping to ease the pressure on other healthcare services and improve patient access to care.

In England, approximately 1.6 million people visit a pharmacy each day, with 93 per cent of people living less than one mile from a community pharmacy in areas of highest deprivation - making it a highly accessible touchpoint for people to receive health advice and care.

However, we know that pharmacies, continue to face significant challenges. Rural areas facing ‘pharmacy deserts’, funding shortfalls and lack of public awareness are slowing the expansion of the Pharmacy First scheme, and pharmacists are busier than ever. Addressing these is vital to ensuring equitable care continues to be provided for all.

Building awareness to strengthen care

Following a successful first year, we have seen growing acceptance amongst the public regarding the services Pharmacy First offers and a demand for expansion. In fact, 78 per cent of people want treatments available for additional conditions, including chest infections and skin problems, at the pharmacy.

Despite this positive momentum, gaps still exist in the public’s awareness, as a third of the UK are unaware of the services available to them through the scheme. This points to the need for greater understanding of the services pharmacists can provide, which may include more signposting patients to pharmacies as a first point of care.

This could unlock further opportunities for pharmacists to use their knowledge and skills to support the health and wellbeing of their communities and enable people to receive care in the most appropriate setting. To do this, it is critical that pharmacists and their teams are well supported.

Under pressure

Haleon supports the Pharmacy First scheme in enhancing the role of pharmacists, enabling them to fully utilise their expertise in managing minor ailments. We also understood that for the scheme to be successful, pharmacies have to be well supported to deliver care under this scheme.

Pharmacy teams are seeing increased workload pressures, with 62 per cent citing staff shortages as a barrier to expanding services, affecting pharmacist wellbeing, patient care quality and wait times. This strain is worsened as the government has yet to negotiate a new NHS pharmacy contract, leaving the sector in financial uncertainty.

To advance the Pharmacy First scheme, government, industry and the profession must work together to provide an environment that recognises pharmacy's crucial role in healthcare delivery at the community level. 

Moving forward with Pharmacy First

At Haleon, we see first-hand the vital role of the pharmacist in championing self-care and enabling patients to make informed decisions driving towards better health outcomes.

To further enhance the role of pharmacy within the NHS, especially as more patient care is transitioned to the community setting, it is essential to continue the commitment to support the significant contributions made by pharmacy teams to healthcare delivery.