Six years after its launch, NHS Pharmacy First Scotland has become a central part of primary care, helping millions of people access advice and treatment through their local community pharmacy.
This week marks the sixth anniversary of NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, a service that has transformed how people access care for minor illnesses and common clinical conditions.
Launched on 29 July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the service replaced the previous Minor Ailment Service and extended access to everyone registered with a GP practice in Scotland or ordinarily resident in the country.
Its ambition was clear from the beginning: to make community pharmacy the first place people turn for advice and treatment for minor illnesses.
Six years later, Scotland’s network of more than 1,200 community pharmacies has made that ambition a reality.
The front door to the NHS
NHS Pharmacy First Scotland allows people to visit a community pharmacy without an appointment and receive a consultation from a trained member of the pharmacy team.
Depending on the patient’s needs, the pharmacy can provide advice, treatment or referral to another healthcare professional.
This gives people access to care close to where they live or work while helping GPs, out-of-hours services and emergency departments concentrate on patients with more complex needs.
Community pharmacies are among the most accessible parts of the health service, making them well placed to act as a front door to NHS care.
A service that has continued to develop
Pharmacy First Scotland was designed to build on the success of the Minor Ailment Service while providing more comprehensive and consistent care.
The service has since expanded to cover additional common clinical conditions through Patient Group Directions.
This allows appropriately trained pharmacists to assess and treat conditions including impetigo, shingles, uncomplicated urinary tract infections and certain skin infections without requiring the patient to obtain a separate prescription from a GP.
The development of independent prescribing has created further opportunities for community pharmacists to manage patients who might previously have required an appointment with another healthcare prescriber.
Almost half of Scotland’s community pharmacy network is now reported to be delivering this enhanced level of care.
Millions using Pharmacy First
The latest Public Health Scotland figures demonstrate the scale and reach of the service.
During 2024/25:
• 36% of Scotland’s population used Pharmacy First Scotland at least once
• A total of 1,942,214 people accessed the service
• 60% of those using the service were female
• 81% received an item such as tablets, a cream or another treatment at least once
The number of people using the service increased by 56% between 2021/22 and 2024/25.
Use was particularly high among children aged nine and under, with 548 users per 1,000 population.
The figures also demonstrate the important role community pharmacy plays in reducing health inequalities.
Use of Pharmacy First Scotland increased from 337 people per 1,000 in the least deprived communities to 410 per 1,000 in the most deprived areas.
This shows how an accessible, walk-in service can help people receive care regardless of where they live or their personal circumstances.
The next generation of pharmacist prescribers
Independent prescribing will play a growing role in the future of community pharmacy care.
NHS Education for Scotland states that from July 2026, most newly qualified pharmacists will join the General Pharmaceutical Council register as independent prescribers.
For existing pharmacists, prescribing courses and clinical skills development are helping increase the number of qualified independent prescribers working across the community pharmacy network.
Prescribing is not simply about gaining a qualification. Pharmacists also need suitable training, supervision, protected development time and an environment in which they can use their skills safely and effectively.
Continued investment will therefore be essential if independent prescribing is to become consistently available through community pharmacies across Scotland.
An ambition for 2030
The expansion of the Community Pharmacy Independent Prescriber role has the potential to broaden the range of conditions that can be assessed and treated within local pharmacies.
Community Pharmacy Scotland has set out an ambition for pharmacies across the network to have an active prescriber delivering NHS services as the country approaches the 2030s.
Achieving this will require continued financial support, workforce development, suitable digital infrastructure and effective integration with the wider health service.
With these elements in place, community pharmacy could provide more care closer to home while creating additional capacity elsewhere in primary care.
A Scottish service with international interest
Pharmacy First Scotland has also attracted attention beyond Scotland.
Community Pharmacy Scotland has welcomed international visitors interested in learning from the service, while representatives from the organisation have shared Scotland’s experience with pharmacy leaders in other countries.
The interest reflects the strength of a model built around accessibility, professional expertise and an established national network of community pharmacies.
A service worth celebrating
The sixth anniversary of Pharmacy First Scotland is an opportunity to recognise the work of community pharmacy teams across the country.
From its launch during one of the most challenging periods in the history of the NHS, the service has developed into a key part of primary care and is now used by more than one-third of Scotland’s population.
The figures demonstrate what community pharmacy can achieve when teams are given the opportunity, infrastructure and support to deliver.
The next chapter should focus on building that capacity, expanding access to independent prescribing and ensuring every community can benefit from the full potential of its local pharmacy.