How NHS Pharmacy First works in Birmingham

NHS Pharmacy First is one of the biggest changes to community pharmacy in years. Until 2024, if you had an ear infection, a UTI, or a sore throat that needed antibiotics, you had to book a GP appointment, often days away, just to be told what your local pharmacist could already see. Pharmacy First closes that gap.

What is Pharmacy First?

Pharmacy First is an NHS-commissioned service that allows community pharmacists in England to clinically assess patients with seven specific conditions, and where clinically appropriate, supply prescription-only medication on the spot. The consultation is free, the pharmacist follows the same NICE guidance your GP would, and you walk out with a treatment plan in your hand rather than waiting days for an appointment.

For us in Selly Oak, this matters because we sit in a community where access to GP appointments is genuinely difficult. Local surgeries are oversubscribed, students at the University of Birmingham often have GPs registered hundreds of miles away, and parents with poorly children often cannot wait three days for a same-day slot. Pharmacy First gives all of those people a clinically valid, free alternative.

The seven conditions covered

Pharmacy First currently covers:

• Sinusitis in adults and children aged 12 and over
• Sore throat in adults and children aged 5 and over
• Acute otitis media (ear infection) in children aged 1 to 17
• Infected insect bites in patients aged 1 and over
• Impetigo in patients aged 1 and over
• Shingles in adults aged 18 and over
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged 16 to 64

If you fall outside the eligibility criteria for any of these (for example, a man with UTI symptoms, or a child under 5 with a sore throat), the pharmacist cannot prescribe under Pharmacy First — but they can still examine, advise, and refer you on to the right service.

What happens when you walk in

The process is deliberately straightforward.

1. You walk in (or call ahead), and tell the pharmacy team which condition you think you have.
2. You wait briefly — usually a few minutes during quiet periods, longer when busy. There is no booking system; it is genuinely walk-in.
3. You go into the private consultation room with the pharmacist. The conversation is confidential — nobody in the shop overhears.
4. The pharmacist takes a history of your symptoms, examines you where appropriate (otoscope for ears, throat exam, urine dip for UTI), and assesses against the NICE clinical pathway for that condition.
5. If treatment is appropriate, the pharmacist supplies it from the pharmacy stock, free under the NHS or at the standard NHS prescription charge. If treatment is not appropriate, they explain why and tell you what to do next.

The whole consultation typically takes 15 to 20 minutes. Most patients are in and out — with treatment in hand — within half an hour.

What it costs

The consultation is free, full stop. If you usually pay for NHS prescriptions, the standard charge applies for any medication supplied (currently £9.90 per item). If you are exempt — under 16, over 60, pregnant, on certain benefits, or on a prepayment certificate — the medication is free too.

What it does not cover

Pharmacy First is one specific service. It does not include vaccinations, blood pressure checks, contraception (those are separate NHS services we also offer), or anything outside the seven conditions above. If you have a condition that needs blood tests, scans, or specialist input, you still need a GP. Pharmacy First is the front door to common conditions, not a replacement for general practice.

Visiting us in Selly Oak

Selly Pharmacy is on Bristol Road, two minutes from Selly Oak station and opposite the University of Birmingham campus. We are open Monday to Friday 9 to 6, and Saturday 9 to 5. Walk in any time, or call 0121 472 0155 if you want to check we can see you.