NHS Pharmacy First Scotland is an NHS service provided by your local community pharmacy.
If you have a minor illness, a pharmacy is the first place you should go for advice.
You do not usually need an appointment and you can go to any pharmacy.
Your local pharmacist or a trained member of the pharmacy team will give you advice and provide medicine if needed. They may need to refer you to another healthcare professional such as your GP practice, dentist, optometrist or another NHS service if they feel your condition needs further investigation or more specialist care.
Who can use NHS Pharmacy First Scotland?
You can use NHS Pharmacy First Scotland if you are registered with a GP practice in Scotland or you live in Scotland.
Speak to the pharmacy team if you need more details.
How does the service work?
Pharmacists and their teams are experts in medicines and can help with minor health concerns.
A pharmacist, or a member of the pharmacy team, can give you advice and treatment (if you need it) for various minor illnesses and common clinical conditions.
How do I use the service?
NHS Pharmacy First Scotland is available from all pharmacies in Scotland that dispense NHS prescriptions.
You can choose which pharmacy to use.
In most cases, you don’t have to make an appointment.
When you visit the pharmacy, the pharmacist (or one of their team) will ask you for some information, including your name, date of birth and postcode.
The pharmacist, or a member of their team, will:
- ask you about your symptoms
- give you advice on your condition
- provide medication (if you need it)
- refer you to another healthcare professional (for example, your GP) if they think this is necessary
- set up a Patient Medication Record (PMR) to make a note of any advice and treatment they give you
You can ask to use the pharmacy’s consultation area or room if you want to speak to the pharmacist in private.
- You register for the service with the community pharmacy of your choice.
- You don’t have to make an appointment. You can go along at a time that suits you.
- Your consultation will always be with a qualified pharmacist.
- If your pharmacist thinks that you need a medicine or product to treat your symptoms they will give you this without you needing to pay.
You Will Still Have to go to Your GP If:
- Your pharmacist suggests you should, or
- You need a medicine that you can only get on prescription from your gp