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The Pharmacy First scheme provides professional health care advice, treatments, and medicines for common minor illnesses from your local pharmacy, without the need for a doctor’s appointment.

In most instances Pharmacy First is replacing CPCS in terms of new ways to get access to health care for minor illnesses, access referrals to other parts of the NHS for minor illness and urgent repeat medicines supply.

Through Pharmacy First our qualified pharmacists can now treat patients for sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women under 65, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription

Under the new Pharmacy First scheme, our pharmacists can now carry out consultations and issue antibiotics when appropriate. Under this scheme there is a strict protocol for providing medicines, including antibiotics and our team will always adhere to these to make sure you get the right care.

The aim of this service and the ability to prescribe medication is to make it easier for our patients to get the help they need for minor illnesses without the need to visit a GP. Where we feel you need additional tests or the illness is more advanced we will refer you on to the right health care service to get the support you need.

To help us effectively advise and treat you we recommend booking an appointment online. This will help reduce wait times and make sure you get the right treatment quickly. If you’re unsure which service you need, please contact our pharmacists on 020 8394 0151 who will be happy to answer your questions.

As always, if you’d like advice on your health, medication or a condition please feel free to visit our Ewell pharmacy. Our pharmacy is conveniently located for residents in Ewell and Epsom to get quick, safe and convenient treatment.

There is no cost to speak with a member of our pharmacy team through the Pharmacy First scheme, however if you usually pay for your prescriptions some charges may apply. If you have any questions our pharmacists will advise you of any costs when you arrive for your appointment or when you book over the phone.

All of our pharmacists have been trained in the new service and are qualified to advise on the illnesses covered by this scheme and dispense medications when appropriate. They have also been extensively trained on when and where to refer you if your illness is beyond what is covered in the Pharmacy First scheme.

Yes, there are age limits for each of the conditions covered under Pharmacy First. This is for patient safety and to ensure that everyone using the service gets the correct and high quality care. The age limits are as follows:

• Sinusitis (12 years and over)
• Sore throat (5 years and over)
• Acute otitis media (mild middle ear infection for patients between and 17 years)
• Infected insect bite
• Impetigo (1 year and over)
• Shingles (18 years and over)
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (Women 16 to 64 years)

If you’re unsure whether you or a family member qualifies to use the Pharmacy First scheme please don’t hesitate to call our team on 020 8394 0151.

Our pharmacists will ask you about your symptoms, how long they’ve been happening for and if they are getting worse or improving. In some cases we will need to examine you to determine the severity of your illness, for example if you visit to discuss an earache.

If you have any questions about the process you can always ask our pharmacists what will happen before any consultation begins and as always you can bring a trusted friend or family member to the appointment if that makes you feel more comfortable.

At Ricky’s Pharmacy we offer a wide range of pharmacy services such as emergency contraception, blood pressure checks, advice on stopping smoking, weight loss advice and prescription services.

We also offer a vaccination clinic that offers flu and COVID vaccinations which you can book an appointment for online.