Project #202 : A longitudinal evaluation of pharmacy consultation services including the Pharmacy First programme on healthcare utilisation over the period 2017 – 2026

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift in patient and public behaviour with respect to accessing primary healthcare, which was especially prominent in terms of use of community pharmacies. Pharmacies were often the first port of call and the most easily accessible part of the primary care system during the acute pandemic years, and pharmacists’ roles expanded rapidly to support pandemic needs in medicines delivery, COVID-19 vaccinations, advice for minor health conditions and the changing of penicillin formulations.

In response, the Government commissioned the COVID-19 NHS recovery plan. Part of this plan was to build on the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service, which has been running since October 2019, and expanded it into the Pharmacy First Programme with the aim to reduce pressure on other aspects of the primary health care service, especially general practice as it copes with the COVID-related pressures.

Pharmacy First allows community pharmacists, guided by set clinical pathways, to assess and manage seven common conditions, including the supply of prescription only medicines where appropriate, after a consultation with the patient.

We will look at the trend in healthcare usage over 2017 to 2026 and healthcare usage for the seven conditions included in the Pharmacy First programme. We will assess what effect the COVID-19 pandemic and, in response, the introduction of the Pharmacy First programme has had on GP appointments and hospital use associated with these conditions in England. We will also look at how changes in the number of consultations at general practices and hospitals are affected by patient and practice characteristics.