A national community pharmacy minor ailments scheme is to be developed and rolled out across Wales over the next two years, the Welsh government has announced.

Financial details of the scheme have not yet been confirmed, but the government said the scheme would help to make community pharmacy the first port of call for the treatment of a defined list of ailments, including hayfever, warts, head lice, indigestion and sore throats.

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	To access the service, patients will be required to register with their local pharmacy, but they will not have to make appointments or pay for medicines received under the scheme.

Pharmacists will be expected to give advice and dispense medicines from a defined list, or to refer patients on to their GP if necessary.

Health minister Lesley Griffiths said making better use of pharmacists to improve access to services was "a key commitment" for the government. "By visiting pharmacists rather than GPs for minor ailments, patients will not need to make an appointment, but they will still be able to get any necessary medicine without charge," she said.  

Community Pharmacy Wales (CPW) chair Ian Cowan said he was delighted that the government was taking action to implement its manifesto commitment on minor ailments schemes. "Such a scheme is an extremely good use of the medicines expertise of pharmacists, as well as the widespread ease of accessibility of the 710 local pharmacies in villages, towns and city centres," he said. "This is key to making community pharmacies real health centres in the high street."

Community Pharmacy Wales chief executive Russell Goodway told C+D that the Welsh government would arrange for a phased roll out of the new service with budgets being allocated as the service developed across the country.

"CPW believes that this is a very sensible approach and will be discussing with Welsh government officials and appropriate health board personnel details to be included in service specifications and service level agreements," he said.

The government hopes to have the first services up and running within 12 months with a phased roll-out beginning later in 2013. It said development work on the scheme would begin "immediately", mainly to develop the IT infrastructure needed to support the service.