Excellent Trustpilot rating
Trusted NHS partner
Regulated pharmacy
Serving 2 million patients
Our new NHS service means you can get clinical advice and a suitable treatment for selected common health conditions, without needing to see your GP
Instead, you can speak to our pharmacist, who can talk to you about your symptoms before recommending and issuing the best treatment.
*Appointments subject to availability.
How the NHS Pharmacy First Service works
Check your symptoms
Book your appointment
Have your consultation
Get your treatment
We’ll deliver it for free
What conditions can we help with under Pharmacy First?
*We can help with urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women if they’re considered to be uncomplicated (you’re aged between 18-64, are not pregnant, and haven’t had a previous UTI in the last 6 months).
Symptom checker
We might be able to help if you:
Are an adult, or suspect impetigo in a child aged 1 or older
Have red sores and blisters on the skin
Have blisters that have popped and left crusty, golden-brown patches that could:
Look like cornflakes on your skin
Get bigger
Cause itching
Spread to other areas of your body
Sometimes be sore and tender to touch
This service isn't suitable for pregnant individuals under 16 years old who should instead make an appointment to see their doctor.
You'll also need to contact your GP if you keep getting impetigo infections.
We might be able to help if you:
Are an adult, or suspect a child in your care over 1 year old has developed an infected insect bite
Were bitten more than 2 days ago
Notice the bite site is:
Red
Painful or tender to touch
Swollen
Warm or hot to the touch
Turning red and the redness is spreading to the surrounding skin
Weeping, or there’s puss coming from the affected area
This service isn't suitable for pregnant individuals under 16 years old who should instead make an appointment to see their doctor.
We might be able to help if you:
Are an adult aged 18 or over
Are showing symptoms including:
A tingling or painful sensation on an area of your skin
Feeling generally unwell and experiencing headache
Developing a blotchy rash within a few days of the two previous symptoms (usually on the chest or tummy, but it can appear anywhere on the body, including the face, eyes, or genitals).
Shingles rash appears only on one side of your body. A rash spanning both the left and right side of your body will most likely be a sign of a different condition, and we’d recommend
speaking to your GP or calling NHS 111.
You should also speak to your GP if you suspect shingles and you’re pregnant.
We might be able to help if:
You’re an adult or suspect a child in your care aged 12 or over may have sinusitis
You’re getting over a recent episode of cold or flu (sinusitis is common following a viral infection like this)
You have the following symptoms:
A cough
Toothache
Raised temperature (above 38C)
A headache with pressure, pain, or tenderness around the eyes, cheeks, and forehead
Green or yellow-coloured snot
A reduced sense of smell
Blocked nose
This service isn't suitable for pregnant individuals under 16 years old who should instead make an appointment to see their doctor.
You’ll also need to speak to your GP if you have a compromised immune system or your symptoms have been ongoing for over 12 weeks (chronic sinusitis).
We might be able to help if you:
Are 18 or over, or have a child aged 5 and above with a sore throat
Have symptoms including:
A raised temperature (above 38C)
Pain when swallowing
Red, inflamed tonsils
White, streaky patches on the tonsils
This service isn't suitable for pregnant individuals under 16 years old who should instead make an appointment to see their doctor.
You’ll also need to speak to your GP about your sore throat if it’s been ongoing for 12 months (7 or more episodes in this time).
We might be able to help if you:
Are female and aged between 18-64
Have symptoms including:
Needing to pee more often than usual, including at night
Pain or discomfort when peeing
An urgent or sudden need to pee
Cloudy looking urine
If you notice blood in your pee or pain in your lower tummy area, we’d recommend making an appointment with your GP.
If you experience the following symptoms, ask for an emergency (same-day) or out-of-hours appointment with your GP:
Kidney pain (tenderness behind the ribs toward the back)
Feeling and/or being sick
Flu-like symptoms
A temperature above 38C
A temperature below 36C
You’ll also need to speak to your GP about a UTI treatment if you’re pregnant, use a catheter, or have recurring UTIs (2 in the last 6 months, or 3 in the last 12 months).
Why choose this service?
Free NHS service delivered by Pharmacy2U
No need for a GP appointment
Quickly access clinical advice and a suitable treatment
Can be done from the comfort and privacy of your home
Free tracked delivery of any prescription treatments
Helps relieve pressure on your local GP
Frequently asked questions
The NHS Pharmacy First Service gives you access to the appropriate treatment you need for certain common conditions through one of our pharmacists, instead of needing to attend an appointment with your GP. This new service can be used when you have symptoms of one of the conditions listed below:
Sinusitis
Sore throat
Infected insect bites
Impetigo
Shingles
UTI
You’ll have a video consultation with one of our pharmacists who’ll determine the treatment you need. This could be a prescription medication, such as a course of antibiotics, a recommendation for an over-the counter medicine available from our pharmacy shop, or self-care. The consultation is always free, and if you’re issued a prescription treatment, we’ll dispatch and deliver this to you for free (you’ll pay the standard NHS prescription charge unless you’re eligible for free prescriptions).
Pharmacy First is a new NHS initiative to improve the availability of primary healthcare to patients in England. Pharmacy First currently includes the Common Conditions Service and also a referral service for minor illnesses and urgent repeat medication. These services enable pharmacists to use more of their skills and medical training, giving you improved access and more choice when it comes to your healthcare.
By thinking ‘Pharmacy First’, you should find it easier and quicker to get the help you need, without the morning rush to try and book an appointment with your GP. There are also other NHS services that are now available with a pharmacist instead of a GP, like the Pharmacy Contraception Service.
If you feel like you need more urgent care or you cannot wait for your medication to be delivered the next working day, then you may need to speak with your local pharmacist or usual GP to discuss your symptoms.
Your GP or an NHS 111 operator may refer you to our Common Conditions service, or you can self-refer by selecting the condition you need help with and following the instructions on the page.
You’ll complete a short questionnaire to ensure this service is the best option for you. If we determine there’s a more suitable alternative for your specific needs, we’ll signpost you to the most appropriate NHS service. When you’ve successfully booked your appointment, we’ll send you an email reminder before it’s due to take place which will include a link to access your video consultation. You can join up to 10 minutes before your appointment time, and our pharmacist will soon be with you to complete your consultation.
Your video appointment with the pharmacist should take around 15 minutes to complete.
You may be given self-care advice, a prescription treatment such as a course of antibiotics, or recommended medicines available to purchase from our pharmacy shop to help ease your symptoms. The pharmacist will talk through your options with you at your video consultation.
If the pharmacist issues a prescription medication to treat your condition, it will be sent free of charge using Royal Mail’s Tracked 24-hour service to your chosen UK address. Where possible, we try to make sure our packaging allows your prescription to fit through your letterbox. If you’re not going to be home, you can nominate a safe place for Royal Mail to leave your parcel when you’ve received your tracking number.
If you purchase a recommended over-the-counter treatment from our pharmacy shop, you can select your preferred delivery option at checkout.
If you hold a valid NHS prescription exemption certificate or a prescription prepayment certificate, you won’t need to pay for your prescription medicine. If you pay for your NHS prescriptions, we’ll take your details at the end of your video consultation ready to process your prescription.
Yes, we’ll update your GP to inform them of the outcome of your video consultation and any treatments we’ve issued or recommended.
Appointments are available Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5pm, and you can book an appointment the same day where available. Booking an appointment can be done 24/7 for the slots that are available Monday to Friday.
Unfortunately, due to the level of examination needed to asses the condition of earache, we are not able to do this remotely. If you’re experiencing symptoms of earache then you should visit your local pharmacy or NHS GP.