Pharmacists accuse GPs in England of obstructing the Pharmacy First programme

GPs have been accused of undermining Rishi Sunak’s illness flagship plan to reduce the time it takes to see them by refusing to refer patients with minor conditions to a pharmacist.

Pharmacists claim that many GPs in England are not sending patients to them for treatment – ​​and some are refusing to take part in the ‘groundbreaking’ Pharmacy First scheme in the first place.

Last May, Sunak made patients assessed, advised and treated by pharmacists rather than GPs the centerpiece of his primary care recovery plan.

It was aimed at easing the pressure on overworked GPs and reducing the delays many patients face when they need care – as well as giving them greater choice of where to seek healthcare and providing 15 million euros in the first two years to free up GP appointments for people with more problems. urgent diseases.

The schedule was expanded in January, when the NHS announced that patients could seek help from a pharmacist instead of a GP for seven common conditions, including earache, sinusitis, sore throat, infected insect bites and shingles. More than 10,000 community pharmacies were ready to help patients, it added.

But a row has broken out between GPs and pharmacists over the former’s alleged refusal to refer patients onwards.

Three quarters of pharmacists do not receive regular referrals from GPs, according to a survey of 470 community pharmacies by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). It represents more than 5,000 independently owned and operated pharmacies. Some respondents said that GPs in their region did not refer patients at all.

The NPA is so concerned that it has written to the Health Minister, Victoria Atkins, asking him to convene an urgent summit.

“We are concerned by reports from many of our members that some GPs are not referring patients through the scheme and some are outright refusing to do so,” NPA chairman Nick Kaye wrote. Without action, the planned expansion of NHS care provided by pharmacists could “fail”, he warned.

Aisling O’Brien, a pharmacist at O’Brien’s pharmacy group, which runs nine sites in North West England, said patients liked Pharmacy First for the convenience, access and speed it offered. But she added: “There is one GP practice that, at the request of its GP partners, is refusing to refer for three of the seven conditions. They refuse to give a reason.”

Sunak’s plan last year also said: “By expanding the role of pharmacies, fewer people will need their GP in the first place.”

These extra consultations were central to Sunak’s pledge to abolish the widespread “8am rush for GP appointments”.

The British Medical Association, which represents doctors including GPs, did not dispute the NPA’s claims that issues are affecting the rollout of Pharmacy First, but denied that GPs were refusing to participate.

“Community pharmacists and primary care physicians want to work together to ensure patients receive safe and effective care. Rather than being reluctant to engage with Pharmacy First, we are aware of GPs expressing concerns that this program is being rolled out too quickly and relies on inadequate IT infrastructure, ultimately increasing pressure on our profession . This puts further pressure on a system that is already close to breaking point,” said Dr Julius Parker, deputy chair of the BMA’s GP committee for England.

“GPs, pharmacists and patients all want the same thing. We want patients to be able to receive care quickly and conveniently, in a practice that is close to them, that is well-staffed, resourced and safe. We look forward to engaging with the NPA to better understand their concerns and better maximize the potential of this scheme.”

The Department of Health and Social Care did not respond directly to the NPA’s findings. But it urged GPs to direct patients to pharmacists if their condition means it is the right thing to do.

“The Pharmacy First service will support a shift in patient attitudes towards seeking advice from community pharmacies as a first point of contact for seven common conditions and is expected to free up 10 million GP appointments per year once fully scaled up” , said a spokesperson.