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<p>Pharmacy First was launched on 31 January 2024. The Department and NHS England
will closely monitor the service. Additionally, the National Institute for Health
and Care Research has commissioned a wrap-around evaluation of Pharmacy First, with
a focus on antimicrobial resistance. There are no plans to change this service, which
has only recently launched, but if any changes were proposed then we would consult
Community Pharmacy England, as the representative body for all pharmacy contractors
in England.</p><p>General practices (GPs) and their teams already refer patients to
community pharmacies for a wide range of services. Pharmacy First, for minor illnesses,
is built on the existing Community Pharmacy Consultation Service. NHS England has
further engaged with GP representatives during the development and launch of Pharmacy
First.</p><p>The Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care announced plans
to significantly improve the digital infrastructure between GPs and community pharmacies.
Pharmacy IT systems already generate automated emails to the patient’s GP following
a consultation. We are taking this one step further for Pharmacy First. Later this
year, pharmacy IT systems will send information about a Pharmacy First consultation
directly into the GP’s workflow. This will be a first for the National Health Service,
but will become the norm over time for other parts of the NHS, further reducing bureaucracy
for GPs. Pharmacies will also have access to more parts of the patient’s GP record,
and referrals will be streamlined.</p>
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