Pharmacy First Scheme - Minor Ailments and Self Care
1st October 2014-31st March 2015
Reception Protocol
For patients making an appointment by telephone or in person at the surgery
-Tell the patient that if their appointment is for one of the ACUTE minor ailments (read out the list if
by telephone or show if in person) they can use the new scheme, “Pharmacy First” in operation.
Patients can be referred to a local Community Pharmacy for advice and treatment rather than
waiting for an appointment. Please let them know that they can only register with 1 pharmacy and
that they are allowed access to the scheme on a maximum of 3 occasions in a 6 month period.
Please also sign-post them to the national self- care website which has lots of resources to help
patients take better care of themselves in respect to minor ailments: www.selfcareforum.org
-If the patient is exempt from prescription charges then the medicines will be free. If the patient
pays for prescriptions the patient can go to the pharmacy and purchase a medicine in the normal
way. (This will usually be less than a prescription charge).
-Please show them the list of accredited pharmacies. DO NOT direct them to a particular pharmacy.
For patients who have already taken up a GP appointment for the symptoms it is expected that,
where appropriate, their prescription medicines will reflect this. They cannot subsequently obtain
medicines for the same symptoms under the scheme. Furthermore, treatments for chronic
conditions are NOT covered by the Pharmacy First Scheme.
-If they are not known to the pharmacy they will need to prove that they are registered with a
participating GP practice by taking some form of identification and proof of GP registration (eg NHS
card) with them. The pharmacy may contact the practice to confirm registration. Patients MUST
have/know their NHS number in order to access the scheme.
-If a patient is referred to the pharmacy for treatment through the scheme, it is good practice to
record this in the patients’ notes or computer record. Alternatively, this can be done upon receipt of
a GP notification letter, which will be automatically generated and emailed to the practice by the
pharmacy when a registered patient uses the scheme to obtain treatment for a minor ailment
covered by the scheme. For good practice the letter should be scanned into the patients’ record.
-If a patient refuses transfer into the scheme then an appointment should be made for them in the
surgery in the usual manner.
For patients self-referring at the Pharmacy
The pharmacist is required to confirm the patient’s identification and registration with your surgery.
If the pharmacist does not know the patient or does not have a previous prescription record for
them, then they may ring the surgery to check they are registered. Please cooperate with these
requests.
Rapid Referral
On some occasions the Pharmacist may consider that the patient needs to be seen by a doctor. The
urgency will depend upon the symptoms. In these circumstances the Pharmacist will advise the
patient to make an appointment and indicate an appropriate time period for the patient to be seen
by their Doctor, for example immediately for more serious conditions, within 2-3 days for less
serious conditions or within the next 2 weeks if symptoms persist. Sometimes if the surgery is
closed the Pharmacist may advise the patient to call the emergency number or go straight to A & E.
If an urgent appointment is required, the pharmacist will phone the surgery to arrange this.
Pharmacy First Scheme - Minor Ailments and Self Care
1st October 2014-31st March 2015
Quick Reference

Patients who have already attended a GP appointment or intend to take up a GP
appointment for the same symptoms are not eligible for the Pharmacy First scheme

Treatments for chronic conditions are NOT covered by the Pharmacy First Scheme.
Presenting Condition / Symptoms
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Acute Fever
Acute Headache
Bites & Stings
Cold & Flu
Cold Sores (on lips only)
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Dry Skin (simple eczema)
Dyspepsia
Earache
Hayfever
Headlice
Mouth Ulcers
Nappy Rash
Sunburn
Sore Throat
Vaginal Thrush
Acute Cough
Wolverhampton Patients & Pharmacies ONLY
Primary Eyecare Assessment & Referral (PEARs)