NHS Devon launches Pharmacy First campaign as summer health issues rise

NHS Devon is encouraging more people to visit their local pharmacy this summer as part of a new Pharmacy First campaign designed to ease pressure on GP surgeries during one of the busiest times of the year.

The initiative has introduced a network of Pharmacy First Ambassadors from communities across Devon, including fishermen, parents, older residents and members of the LGBTQ+ community, who will share their own experiences of using community pharmacies for everyday healthcare.

With more than 200 pharmacies across the county, NHS Devon hopes the campaign will encourage patients to think of their pharmacist as the first port of call for a range of common conditions, from hay fever and insect bites to urinary tract infections and sore throats.

Making healthcare more accessible

Community pharmacies have become an increasingly important part of primary care, offering expert advice without the need for an appointment and, in many cases, providing prescription-only medicines following a private consultation.

The Pharmacy First service covers seven common conditions, including sinusitis, shingles, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, sore throats and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in eligible patients.

As temperatures climb and seasonal illnesses become more common, the campaign aims to ensure patients receive the right care more quickly while freeing up GP appointments for more complex medical needs.

Summer demand brings its own challenges

While making treatment easier to access is widely welcomed, higher demand inevitably puts extra pressure on medicine supply and dispensing.

Hay fever medications, antibiotics for infected insect bites and treatments for urinary tract infections are among the medicines that often see seasonal spikes in demand during the warmer months.

For patients, that can occasionally mean visiting more than one pharmacy if stock isn't immediately available, adding delays after they've already received a diagnosis.

Fast treatment only works if medicines are available

Daniel Bulkin, CEO and Founder of e-prescription platform Healistic, believes improving access to consultations is only one part of the picture.

"Devon's community pharmacies will inevitably see higher demand over the coming months as more patients make use of Pharmacy First. That's great for access to healthcare, but it also places a lot more pressure on these local pharmacies to keep up with medicine stock availability.

"Healistic supports clinics by connecting them to a network of more than 50 pharmacy partners, meaning prescriptions can still be fulfilled even if an individual pharmacy is experiencing stock shortages. By spreading demand across a wider network, we can help relieve prescription bottlenecks and get medicines to patients faster."

Keeping patients moving

Healistic works with a network of more than 50 pharmacy partners across the UK, allowing clinics to send prescriptions electronically and helping identify pharmacies with medicine in stock.

The platform also offers same-day delivery in London and next-day delivery across the UK, helping reduce delays between consultation, prescribing and treatment.

As initiatives like Pharmacy First continue to expand, healthcare providers say that making sure medicines reach patients quickly will become just as important as making consultations more accessible.

For patients, the aim is simple: spending less time waiting and more time getting better.