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Pharmacy First:

What are the stats

saying so far?

According to data conducted by the CCA, analysis has
shown that patient engagement with Pharmacy First is
quickly resembling a ‘patchwork quilt’ across the country,
with patients in the highest-performing Integrated
Care System (ICS) benefitting from seven times more
Pharmacy First consultations than the lowest performing.

Analysis also specifies that as of 21st April, 3,000+
pharmacies had delivered 126,484 Pharmacy First
consultations since the service’s launch.

What does that look like?

• Almost 13,000 consultations were completed across the North East and North
Cumbria ICS but only 948 were completed across Gloucestershire ICS.
• If every ICS had as many consultations as the highest-performing ICS, there
would have been a potential additional 600,000 Pharmacy First consultations by
community pharmacies.

• 3 in 10 GP surgeries (1,972) have referred a patient for a Pharmacy First
consultation, but 7 in 10 of those referrals (69%) were from a very small minority
(7%) of GP surgeries.
This comparison still highlights a vast variation between different parts of the country.
Pharmacies in North East and North Cumbria ICS have completed seven times more
consultations than those in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, with locally commissioned
services and engagement being likely a key contributor to this variation.
The CCA also acknowledge that unfortunately, the data shows that the NHS
advertising campaign has had little impact on the volume of Pharmacy First
consultations. As with any new NHS service, changing public and clinical behaviour
requires time and is a key aspect in ensuring strong public awareness of the service.

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