Thousands more patients across the Isle of Wight and Hampshire are turning to community pharmacies for treatment instead of visiting their GP, with use of the NHS Pharmacy First service rising by almost 42% in a year.
Community pharmacies across the region delivered just under 87,000 Pharmacy First consultations between April and July 2026.
That compares with around 61,000 during the same 4 months in 2025 – an increase of more than 25,000 consultations.
Pharmacy First allows patients to receive advice and, where appropriate, treatment for common health conditions directly from a community pharmacist without seeing a GP first.
The service currently covers shingles for those aged 18 and over, sore throats for those aged 5 and over, infected insect bites for those aged 1 and over and earache in children and young people aged 1 to 17.
It also covers sinusitis for those aged 12 and over, impetigo for those aged 1 and over and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged 16 to 64.
The NHS says another 5 conditions are expected to be added from late autumn 2026.
These will include low-frequency episodic migraines in adults aged 18 to 64, seasonal allergic rhinitis – including hay fever – in children aged 4 to 11 and acute otitis externa, an infection of the outer ear, in adults aged 18 and over.
Mild to moderate acne will also be included, alongside a prescribing pathway covering mild skin and soft-tissue infections and scabies.
The expanded service will be available from community pharmacies with pharmacists trained to prescribe medicines and will be introduced gradually.
James Roach, Director of Neighbourhood Health at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, has said:
“It’s great to see so many people getting the same day care they need for minor health concerns from our brilliant local pharmacies.
“This is particularly important as we enter winter, when coughs, colds and other seasonal illnesses increase and demand rises across local NHS services.
“By making pharmacy the first port of call for minor health concerns, patients can get help quickly while GP practices, urgent treatment centres and hospitals can focus on people with more complex or urgent needs.
“Community pharmacy will be fundamental to how our local NHS responds to winter pressures and to our longer-term ambition to deliver neighbourhood health services, closer to where people live.”
Neil Hardy, Chief Pharmacist at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, says pharmacies are often easy to reach and many provide walk-in access.
He has said:
“Pharmacists are medicines experts and highly skilled clinicians who are well placed to assess and treat many common health conditions.
“Pharmacy teams can also recognise when a condition may be more serious or when a patient needs to be seen by another healthcare professional.
“The expansion of Pharmacy First will allow qualified pharmacist prescribers to use more of their clinical expertise.”
Patients do not need a referral to access Pharmacy First and can approach a participating pharmacy directly. GP practices and NHS 111 can also refer eligible patients.
Community pharmacies may also provide services including blood pressure checks, contraception, support with medicines and seasonal vaccinations, although availability varies between pharmacies.
Anyone unsure where to seek help can use NHS 111 online, while those experiencing a life-threatening emergency should call 999.
