# Pharmacy First contractual framework: 2023 to 2025

Source: https://www.keypedia.com/records/uk_mhra_guidance/uk-mhra/96dbe62b-88cc-4ada-9209-3bf7814f6bc7
Type: Guidance
Published: November 16, 2023

> The Primary Care Recovery Delivery Plan, established by the NHS and the UK Department of Health and Social Care, introduces the "Pharmacy First" service to optimize patient access and reduce general practice pressure. This framework empowers community pharmacists to supply prescription-only medications for seven common clinical conditions: sore throat, infected ears, impetigo, shingles, infected insect bites, sinusitis, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women. By enabling these interventions without the necessity of a GP appointment or formal prescription, the initiative seeks to modernize the regulatory approach to minor ailments. Furthermore, the plan mandates the expansion of current blood pressure monitoring and oral contraception services within community pharmacies. Once fully implemented and scaled, these initiatives are projected to redirect approximately 10 million appointments per year away from general practices. Although the prompt references an FDA or MHRA inspection format, the provided document is a strategic policy directive rather than a compliance report; therefore, "violations" are replaced by identified gaps in primary care accessibility, and "required actions" focus on the implementation of these expanded clinical pathways. This shift underscores a broader movement toward utilizing the clinical expertise of pharmacists to manage routine health concerns, ensuring that GP resources are reserved for more complex diagnostic needs while maintaining rigorous safety standards across the healthcare landscape.

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## Content

The delivery plan for recovering access to primary care set out proposals for a Pharmacy First service that will enable community pharmacy to supply some prescription-only medication, where clinically appropriate, for 7 common conditions (sore throat, infected ears, impetigo, shingles, infected insect bites, sinusitis and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women) without the need for a GP appointment and a prescription. The plan also proposes to expand the existing blood pressure check and oral contraception services. Together, these new and expanded services could remove 10 million appointments a year from general practice once fully scaled.

## Attachments

- [Pharmacy First letter to contractors](/government/publications/pharmacy-first-contractual-framework-2023-to-2025/pharmacy-first-letter-to-contractors)