Pharmacy First - how is it working in Tameside?

Healthwatch Tameside wanted to understand people's experience of Pharmacy First. They undertook a survey to which 229 people responded.

Most people had a positive experience of using the Pharmacy First service. Over four in five (83%) of respondents who had used the service before said they would use it again. The speed and ease of the service compared to visiting their GP practice was particularly valued. 

General awareness of Pharmacy First is good, but does not translate to usage – three in five (60%) respondents had heard of the service, while only 15% had used it. This gap was wider amongst certain Age and Ethnicity groups. 

Uncertainty around what pharmacists can treat, negative experiences, and confusion around details of the Pharmacy First service are key reasons why some people are hesitant to use the service. 

Advertising through Primary Care services is effective but could be utilised more - people who had heard about Pharmacy First through their GP practice or pharmacy were most likely to go on to use it. However, more people had heard of the service through community groups and TV/radio advertising than via their GP practice or pharmacy. 

Only 67% of pharmacies and 27% of GP practices that we visited were visually promoting the service, despite 98% of local pharmacies offering the service. People who visited their pharmacy regularly were no more likely to have heard of the service than people who visited less frequently. 

Where suggestions were made, people wanted to see further treatments for infections and cold and flu symptoms, and for restrictions on treatment to be widened. These decisions cannot be made at Tameside level, but should be passed on in advance of any service reviews at national level.