Pharmacy First: digital improvements are the key to unlocking success

At the end of January, England put into practice a new ‘Pharmacy First’ approach to healthcare, encouraging patients to seek treatment from their pharmacist rather than a GP for minor illnesses such as sore throats or shingles - set against the dire reality of one in 20 patients currently waiting at least four weeks to see a GP. The implementation of Pharmacy First is designed to cut down wait times, giving patients quicker access to quality healthcare. However, the government’s proposed plans have not entirely accounted for additional support required by community pharmacies.

The Pharmacy Landscape

Although this framework is being introduced to ease pressure on the NHS by decreasing GP wait times, it comes at a time when the pharmacy sector needs assistance. Community pharmacies are best placed to engender change in the sector, but there is uncertainty around the capacity of pharmacies to effectively manage the increased patient load, and it has been suggested that considerable reforms of their services and workflow processes will be needed due to the current industry landscape.

There are numerous reasons why community pharmacies will need support to deliver the best they can. Firstly, the pharmacy sector faces a funding issue. Hit by government funding cuts amounting to an estimated 30% of what was previously granted across the last seven years, our pharmacies are unprofitable with eight closing per week in England. According to the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), since 2015, there has been a net loss of 1,055 pharmacies and over 300 pharmacy closures in 2023 this year alone.

The new Pharmacy First approach promises to provide the sector with increased revenue owing to a surge of patients directed to pharmacies before seeing a GP. The government’s ‘Pharmacy First’ pledge of £645m to community pharmacists is welcome, yet the additional workload that pharmacies will have to undertake post-rollout of the scheme means that to empower pharmacies to achieve their full potential, digitisation is a necessity.

The Technology Solution

Digitisation can play a pivotal role in addressing the pressing challenges faced by the pharmacy healthcare sector in the UK to ensure the ‘Pharmacy First’ framework is a success. The introduction of digital technologies will not only alleviate the strain on community pharmacies but also enhance their efficiency and service delivery.

The shortage of staff can be addressed through the integration of innovative digital platforms such as Charac, which is committed to streamlining the prescription processes, empowering pharmacies to help more customers and improve patient outcomes. Digitalisation will help patients effortlessly order prescriptions using their NHS login, reducing the administrative burden on pharmacies, and minimising the need for manual intervention. Automated updates on prescriptions will not only enhance patient convenience but also contribute to operational efficiency, help save time and mitigate the impact of funding cuts on pharmacy profitability.

Home delivery will help in alleviating the effects of drug shortages by providing a range of tracked services within the local community. This will assist pharmacies in offering reliable and timely prescription delivery, and reduce the effects of the scarcity of medicine supply on patients. Moreover, pharmacies will also benefit from extra space in their stock room as prescriptions can be stored in the pharmacies for shorter periods before collection.

Additionally, as patients will now be seeking medical advice from pharmacists before visiting a GP, allowing patients to book appointments with their local pharmacists online will be a vital tool in adapting to the new framework. This will enable pharmacies to more efficiently manage their workflow process.

For ‘Pharmacy First’ to be truly effective in improving access to healthcare, it is imperative for every pharmacy across the country to embrace digitalisation, and improve processes for patients and healthcare providers alike.