THOUSANDS of women in England will be able to get their contraceptive pill at their local pharmacy without having to see their GP.
From next month, they’ll be able to get a first prescription of the pill from their pharmacist, under plans to make it quicker and easier for people to access healthcare on the high street.
GettyPharmacies are aiming to ramp up the amount of blood pressure checks they give to spot people at risk of heart disease and stroke[/caption]
NHS England said the service would benefit “almost half a million women”.
But it’s not the only change to pharmacy services that’s set to come into effect in the next few weeks and months.
From blood pressure checks to antibiotics for common conditions that would usually be dished out by GPs, here are all the services you’ll be able to access at your pharmacy in December and in the New Year.
Pharmacy contraception service
If you’ve already been prescribed oral contraception and need more of it, you no longer need to book an appointment with your GP or a sexual health clinic.
Instead, your local pharmacy can renew your repeat prescription when your pill runs out.
But an update to the the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service that’s due to come into force on December 1 means that you’ll also be able to get a first prescription of the pill from your pharmacist, without having to see a doctor about it.
At the moment, pharmacists are able to dispense your contraceptive pills after they’ve been prescribed by a GP, and can offer advice on different types of contraception.
To get your contraception prescription from your chemist from next month, you’ll need to have a check-up with the pharmacist to record your blood pressure and weight.
If your BMI or blood pressure is too high – which might put you at higher risk of blood clots if you go on the combined pill – you might be referred to your GP for further checks.
It’s worth noting that pharmacies need to opt in to this service, so not all of them will be rolling it out come next month.
The NHS website will be updated so you can see what locations are offering the service as more pharmacies join the scheme.
But you can still go to your GP to start taking the pill if that’s what you prefer.
Blood pressure checks
Community pharmacies already offer free blood pressure testing people over the age of 40 who live in England and don’t already have a diagnosis of high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is often described as a silent killer as it doesn’t cause any obvious symptoms but it can render you more at risk of suffering deadly health consequences, like heart disease and heart attacks as well as vascular dementia.
But from December 1, pharmacists are set to ramp up the number of life-saving blood pressure checks they give to help identify people who might be at higher risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Their aim is to deliver 2.5 million a year by Spring 2025, according to NHSE.
It estimated this massive effort could prevent more than 1,350 heart attacks and strokes in the first year of the scheme alone.
Treatment for seven common conditions
Patients will also be able to access treatment for seven common conditions at their pharmacy in the New Year, in what’s known as the Pharmacy First Scheme.
It aims to make pharmacies the first port of call, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription.
Subject to proper IT systems being in place for pharmacies, the Pharmacy First Scheme will be launched on January 31 2024.
Pharmacist will be able to give advice on seven minor illnesses and offer prescription-only treatment where appropriate.
This could see pharmacists dishing out antibiotics without needing the OK from a GP for the first time.
The common conditions currently include:
infected insect bite
uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women
You’ll be able to walk in to a pharmacy to get a consultation, or you might be referred by NHS 111 or a GP.
If the pharmacy teams can’t help with you ailment, they’ll signpost you to A&E or a GP.