A growing number of community pharmacies are now delivering Pharmacy First consultations to patients across England through the My Local Surgery platform.
Pharmacy First is a service offered by UK community pharmacies that allows patients to access prescription-only medicines and treatments for common conditions without needing a GP appointment.
Due to the high usage in the first 12 months of launch, My Local Surgery is now scaling its platform’s operations after providing more than 20,000 consultations across England.
The platform launched with the aim of creating a digital healthcare hub where patients can book free video consultations under the NHS Pharmacy First scheme and access other pharmacy services.
Plans are currently underway to increase consultation capacity as the platform scales, with 90 pharmacies now providing consultations through My Local Surgery and prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists before being delivered directly to patients.
Partnerships have also been established with GP practice triage software providers, allowing digital referrals to community pharmacists.
Darren Lingaloo, co-founder of My Local Surgery and community pharmacist at The Village Pharmacy, led the launch.
“There’s a fundamental role for pharmacists in the future of NHS primary care delivery – and community pharmacies have the skills needed to take the pressure off GPs,” he said.
“As community pharmacies navigate the challenges of Government funding, many are seeking new ways to put their clinical skills to full use – and the platform is enabling additional clinical capacity to be used digitally.
“We’ve seen demand for online appointments grow significantly since Pharmacy First was introduced last year and My Local Surgery is providing a digital route for community pharmacies to deliver clinical services to patients across the country.”
The platform allows registered pharmacists to allocate available time to appointment slots and matches them with patients seeking consultations online.
Mitesh Patel, superintendent pharmacist at the Medicine Clinic pharmacy group, which uses the platform in 10 branches, added: “Our experience with My Local Surgery over the past year has been transformative for our group of community pharmacies.
“By unlocking the Pharmacy First funding mechanism, we have been able to access increased funding, supporting the sustainability and growth of our pharmacies.”