00:00 It enables patients in England to access advice and also treatment where appropriate, including
00:08 some prescription only medication for seven common conditions from our pharmacies. And
00:14 that's without the need for an appointment or a prescription from a GP.
00:19 From the 31st of January, patients in England don't need to ring their doctors or get a
00:23 prescription to get their hands on much needed medication for minor illnesses. The NHS has
00:28 said the Pharmacy First scheme aims to free up around 10 million GP appointments annually
00:33 and brings England in line with similar schemes already running in Scotland and Wales.
00:37 So this is the type of services available in Scotland and Wales already, so it's something
00:42 that we certainly welcome and I think it gives patients more choice and access on the high
00:47 street to care when they need it.
00:49 With Pharmacy First, pharmacists can provide advice and appropriate treatment for sinusitis,
00:55 sore throat, ear aches, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles or an uncomplicated urinary
01:02 tract infection in women.
01:04 The service is free at the point of access. Patients will be charged for over-the-counter
01:09 medicine, but those who receive a prescription only medicine and are not eligible for free
01:13 NHS prescriptions will be charged the standard NHS prescription levy. Pharmacists are highly
01:19 trained and can already offer advice on symptoms and when to take medicines.
01:24 Our pharmacists have undergone four years of a degree programme at university and have
01:28 also completed a one-year in-work training before they register and practice as a pharmacist.
01:34 We can utilise our skills with the experts in medicines and treating some of these minor
01:38 conditions so it's a great opportunity for pharmacists to showcase what they can do and
01:42 also support the wider NHS system and primary care.
01:47 Pharmacy groups are widely welcoming the rule change but have raised some concerns over
01:51 financial funding and a raft of recent chemist closures. But after analysis of NHS data last
01:57 summer found 38 million patients waited over 14 days to see their doctor, it's hoped the
02:03 scheme will help trim the backlog and allow GPs to focus more on specialist cases.
02:08 It frees up time for GPs like myself so that we can offer help to patients with different
02:15 healthcare needs. It's an effective way of delivering primary care, ensuring that our
02:22 expertise are used in the right places.
02:25 So the ambition is actually by next winter that we'll be able to save up to 10 million
02:29 GP appointments and that will ultimately mean that GPs can spend more time with patients
02:35 that have maybe got some more complex needs rather than the minor conditions which can
02:39 certainly sit in in community pharmacy to be able to treat and advise on.
02:44 Do you think there's scope for more in the future? I mean we've got these seven ailments
02:47 that can now be treated over the counter. Do you think further research could be done
02:52 and we could see that extended?
02:54 I suspect that'll be the case. So we'll see how these seven conditions go but I'm sure
02:59 there'll be scope for more in the future and we'd welcome that.
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