Pharmacy First Scotland was used by 1.6 million people, or 30% of the Scottish population, between October 2022 and September 2023, data published earlier this month (April 16) by Public Health Scotland (PHS) has revealed.

And PHS data showed that people are regularly returning to pharmacies to use Pharmacy First Scotland.

The number of people using the service “at least once each quarter” rose by 31% over two years - from 464,363 between July and September 2021 to 609,287 in the same period in 2023 - it found.

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This increased use of Pharmacy First Scotland was seen “in both males and females, and across all age groups and deprivation quintiles”, PHS said.

However, the service was used slightly less in the most recent quarter than the previous quarter - April to June 2023 - when 642,830 people accessed the service, according to a dashboard hosted by PHS.

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Its data showed that the service is used most by women, with 379,711 women (62% of the total) accessing the service between July and September last year.

And the service was used most by patients in more deprived areas, with 44% of all patients coming from the two most deprived quintiles in the same quarter, according to PHS.

 

Non-PGD activity

 

Pharmacy First Scotland, launched in July 2020, offers supply of prescription-only medicines (POMs) using patient group directions (PGDs) for five conditions: uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in non-pregnant females, impetigo, skin infections, shingles and hay fever. 

The service also “offers advice and treatment for a range of other self-limiting conditions”, unlike the English service, referred to by PHS as non-PGD activity.

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PHS’s dashboard shows that between July and September 2023: 

• 578,213 people used the service for non-PGD activity
• 29,878 people used the UTI service
• 9,010 people used the skin infection service
• 1,207 people used the shingles service
• 2,492 people used the impetigo service
• 3,915 people used the hay fever service

 

Urgent supply

 

Meanwhile, PHS also revealed that the community pharmacy urgent supply (CPUS) service was used by 11% of the Scottish public (621,330 people) between October 2022 and September last year.

CPUS was most used by older patients between April and September last year, in particular those aged 60-69 years old (74,614) and 70-79 years old (73,624), according to PHS’s dashboard.

Under CPUS, patients can receive “up to one prescribing cycle of their repeat medicines and appliances” if they cannot access their prescriber by ordinary means due to weekends or public holidays, PHS said.

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In 2022, Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) revealed that pharmacists in Scotland had completed “well over” three million consultations under the NHS Pharmacy First Service since its launch. 

And in October, Scotland’s nationwide pharmacy naloxone service launched, backed by £300,000 of government funding for emergency kits.