Pharmacy First: the May 2025 usage update
The NHS reported around 2.4 million people helped through the seven-condition service, alongside separate minor-illness referrals and urgent medicine supplies.
By Compare Pharmacies
NHS announcement:
Published by Compare Pharmacies:
What did the figures show?
In its 28 May 2025 update, NHS England reported that around 2.4 million people had received help through the pharmacy service for seven common conditions. Sore throats accounted for 835,679 consultations, followed by uncomplicated urinary tract infections at 665,409.
The release also reported 1.5 million consultations following minor-illness referrals and 1.4 million for urgent medicine supplies. These are separate elements of Pharmacy First; the overall headline should not be read as five million consultations for the seven conditions alone.
These figures describe the May 2025 update, not current totals. The announcement did not identify an exact reporting period.
What can Pharmacy First help with?
The established service covers sinusitis, sore throat, earache in children, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women. Age and other eligibility rules apply to each condition.
You can approach a participating pharmacy directly for these conditions. The minor-illness referral and urgent medicine supply elements have different access arrangements, so the headline figures do not mean every type of problem can be treated through a walk-in consultation.
Our guide brings together the condition and age information so you can understand what to ask about before visiting.
What does a consultation involve?
The pharmacist assesses the problem and may offer advice, treatment or referral to another health professional. Medicine is supplied only when appropriate; a consultation does not guarantee a prescription or antibiotics.
Contact the pharmacy before visiting to check that it provides the service.
A useful first enquiry is to explain the symptoms and the patient’s age, then ask whether the pharmacy can help and whether an appointment is needed.
A patient’s experience of using the service
The NHS release described Deborah in Stone, Staffordshire, who contacted her GP practice about symptoms of a urinary tract infection. She was directed to her local pharmacy, which offered a consultation that day and supplied treatment after assessment.
Deborah said: “The relief of getting fast, effective treatment, especially during a busy week, was invaluable.”
Her experience illustrates a route into pharmacy care through a GP practice. It is an individual account, not a promise of the same treatment or waiting time for another patient.
How does this relate to the 2026 expansion?
The May 2025 figures concern the service available at that time. A later announcement in September 2026 set out additional prescribing pathways, including help for migraine and acne, at participating prescribing pharmacies from autumn 2026.
The announcements answer different questions: one reports previous use, while the other describes planned changes. Neither confirms which services an individual pharmacy offers today.
Read the expansion story for those details, or use the directory to contact a pharmacy about the service you need.
