Millions of women will be able to get contraceptive pills on the high street without having to visit a GP under new NHS plans.
From next month, women in England will be able to get a first prescription for the pill by visiting their local pharmacy.
They must undergo a check-up with a pharmacist to record their blood pressure and weight. Women who are considered to be overweight or whose blood pressure is high, which puts them at greater risk of blood clots when taking the combined pill, may be referred to their GP for further examination.
The move will give greater choice over where to obtain the pill and forms a package of measures aimed at freeing up 10 million GP appointments by next winter.
Pharmacists will also offer more blood pressure checks to at-risk patients.
And from the beginning of next year, patients can also receive treatment for seven common conditions directly from the pharmacy, without the need for an appointment with the GP or a prescription.
From next month, women in England who start using the contraceptive will be able to get their first prescription without having to visit their GP, thanks to NHS reforms announced today. Instead, they only need to undergo a check-up with a pharmacist to record their blood pressure and weight. In an effort to reduce demand on overburdened GP practices, pharmacies will also increase the number of blood pressure checks they offer from December.
These plans, first announced in May, will bring England in line with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where similar services are already offered.
Here, MailOnline explains what the message means for you and what you can contact your pharmacist for.
NHS contraception service
At least 500,000 women per year will be able to get free contraceptive pills on the high street without having to visit a GP under new NHS plans.
From December, women in England will be able to obtain a first prescription for the pill by visiting their local pharmacy.
The move will give women greater choice over where they can get the pill and forms a package of measures aimed at freeing up 10 million GP appointments by next winter.
Pharmacists are currently allowed to dispense contraceptive pills after they have been initially prescribed by a GP — and provide advice on different types of contraception.
But they can now sign up for the new service to distribute contraceptive pills without patients having to go to the doctor.
Not all pharmacies will offer this service, meaning it may not be available everywhere in England.
But the NHS has asked them to sign up and those who do will pay a deposit of £2,000 per consultation, as well as a payment for each consultation. Industry sources expect a large majority to nominate themselves.
As more pharmacies join the scheme, the NHS website will be updated so women can check which locations offer the service.
Women can still go to the doctor if they want to start taking the pill if they wish.
And women who are considered overweight or whose blood pressure is high – putting them at greater risk of blood clots when taking the combined pill – can be referred to their GP for further checks.
Blood pressure checks
Public pharmacies have long offered blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar tests.
But the Blood Pressure Check service, which allows people over 40 to check whether they are at risk of a heart attack or strike, will be expanded from December 1 with a wider range of trained pharmacy staff able to provide the service.
Officials hope the program will provide up to 2.5 million blood pressure checks by spring 2025.
NHS England estimates that this could prevent more than 1,350 heart attacks and strokes in the first year of the scheme alone.
Among the other key services already provided by high street pharmacies are weight management services, Covid and flu vaccinations, drug advice and advice on asthma inhalers, NHS prescriptions and chlamydia screening and treatment.
As part of the measures unveiled in May, the government announced that a common pharmacy ailments program would be launched in England before the end of 2023. This service allows patients to obtain a prescription from their pharmacist for seven minor illnesses, including earache and urinary tract disorders. infections without having to go to the doctor first. The plans also include an expansion of contraception and blood pressure monitoring services, both announced today
National Pharmacy First Service
From 2024, pharmacies will be the first point of contact for a range of conditions, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription.
The Pharmacy First service Pharmacists will provide advice and, where clinically necessary, prescription treatment for a range of minor illnesses.
Scheduled to launch on January 31, 2024, the service will initially be limited to seven conditions, with ambitions to expand as the service matures.
These include sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.
This could lead to pharmacists dispensing antibiotics for the first time without GP supervision.
If pharmacy teams are unable to help with a patient’s condition, they are referred to another part of the healthcare system, such as a GP surgery or emergency department.