Large pharmacy multiples have earned a combined total of £3.1m from completed Pharmacy First consultations since the service launched, newly published data indicates. 

Data collected by the Company Chemists’ Association from a sample of over 3,000 of its members’ branches between January 1 and June 9 suggest that on the whole multiples have completed 209,200 consultations, said the CCA in a statement last night (June 12). 

The data, which comes from anonymised PharmOutcomes records, points to a total of £3.13m in £15 consultation fees on top of the £1,000 monthly fixed payment. The CCA said it was unable to share data for individual member companies due to competition law. 

The CCA is calling for action to “boost GP referrals,” claiming its research has shown that electronic referrals are crucial to overall consultation numbers and that there is “wide variance” between high and low-performing integrated care system (ICS) regions.

The trade body urged the next government and NHS England to invest in public awareness campaigns and to offer “bespoke support and training” for GP surgeries to increase referral numbers in low-performing ICS regions. 

The CCA is also calling for a firm commitment to fund the service beyond 2025.  

CCA chief executive Malcolm Harrison said: “I am delighted that CCA members have hit the milestone of 200,000 Pharmacy First consultations. The strong patient interest in the service and the stories we are hearing from the frontline show that Pharmacy First is here to stay. 

“In the short term, we need to sow further seeds for success. The next government and NHS England must deploy high quality and targeted public awareness campaigns, as well as support for general practice to increase the number of referrals.

“Longer-term, we need to start exploring how Pharmacy First can be expanded, to further improve patient access to primary care. We have already begun to consider this opportunity and we look forward to sharing our views with policymakers. 

“Expansion of Pharmacy First will only be possible if policymakers commit to fund Pharmacy First beyond 2025 – to give patients, pharmacy businesses, and the wider NHS confidence in the service.”