Pharmacies can provide prescription medicine for seven conditions without a referral
While it may be a common response to see your GP when you fall ill with a condition or sickness, you may face unnecessary waiting times, especially if your local clinic is busy and you can’t get an appointment that same day. Despite this, the NHS is reminding patients that they could receive a prescription for one of many common health conditions without ever needing to see a GP.
Pharmacists across the UK can provide advice on a wide array of illnesses and medicines, including if you have concerns around side effects. They also have the ability to refer you to a GP or other health professional in the event that they’re unable to help you.
Furthermore, they are also able to offer prescription medicines for some conditions without you being required to see a GP or even make an appointment. Guidance from the NHS highlights that this process is known as Pharmacy First and covers seven conditions in particular.
Writing on X, NHS UK said: “Your pharmacist can provide treatment or some prescription medicine, if needed, for seven common conditions – without you seeing a GP. Think pharmacy first and get seen by your local community pharmacy team.”
Seven conditions where you can see a pharmacist for help
A pharmacist can provide prescription medicine for a wide variety of conditions. However, it’s important to note that you need to be in a certain age range to receive the medicine for each following conditions:
- Sore throat (aged 5 years and over)
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) (women aged 16 to 64 years)
- Infected insect bites (aged 1 year and over)
- Impetigo (aged 1 year and over)
- Sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
- Earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
- Shingles (aged 18 years and over)
Even if you don’t qualify for the prescription medication due to having the condition but not being in the appropriate age range, a pharmacist can still give advice, treatment, or a referral if they deem it necessary. Guidance from the NHS notes that while most pharmacies are able to provide prescription medicines for the above conditions, it is advised that you call them beforehand to double-check.
Some pharmacies are also able to provide the contraceptive pill for free and without a prescription. However, if you’re local pharmacy is not offering it, you can still buy the emergency contraceptive pill from most pharmacies if you’re aged 16 or over or the progesterone-only pill if you’re aged 18 or over.
Further details around the services you may be able to receive from your local pharmacy can be found on the NHS website here.