Pharmacy First sore throat consultations up by over 80% as winter illnesses increase

New figures from NHS England show that almost 5,000 patients in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes used the Pharmacy First scheme to get treatment for a sore throat without seeing a GP in the three months to November 2025, an increase of more than 2,200 (82.5%) on the same period a year earlier.

Pharmacy First – introduced in January 2024 in the majority of community pharmacies – enables high street pharmacists to assess and treat seven health common conditions and, where needed, supply prescription-only medicines, including antibiotics, without the need for patients to get a GP appointment or prescription.

The data also show that, for all seven health conditions it covers, over 22,200 patients used Pharmacy First to get advice or treatment between September and November 2025, an increase of over 6,500 (41.6%) compared with the same period in 2024.

The Pharmacy First scheme covers the following conditions:

• Impetigo (aged 1 year and over)
• Infected insect bites (aged 1 year and over)
• Earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
• Sore throat (aged 5 years and over)
• Sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs; women aged 16 to 64 years)
• Shingles (aged 18 years and over)

If you go to a pharmacy with one of these conditions, the pharmacist will offer you advice, treatment or refer you to a GP or other health professional if needed.  They will also update your GP health record, but your information will not be shared with anyone else.

Dr Fiona Head, medical director at Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, said:

“These figures show that local people are using Pharmacy First well, and are recognising that it’s a great way to get the treatment they need from our team of dedicated NHS pharmacists, who are the experts on the local high street.

“Community pharmacies have always played a vital role in keeping local people healthy, with thousands of patients supported each month when they start to take a new medicine.

“Even if you are not in the age range covered for your condition, your pharmacist can still offer advice and help you to make decisions about self-care with over-the-counter medicines, but you may still need to see a GP if you need a prescription.

“And don’t forget that pharmacists and their staff provide can offer advice and treatment whenever you need it urgently.  Many pharmacies are open from morning till night and offer consulting areas where you can have privacy to seek advice for all sorts of health conditions, not just those covered by the Pharmacy First scheme.”

For more information about Pharmacy First and the conditions which can be treated by your local pharmacist, or simply to find a pharmacy near you, you can visit the NHS website.