Chemists will soon treat more illnesses

ORDINARY pharmacy counters, whether in high street shops or hospitals, will soon be able to sell a range of medicines that used to require a prescription from a GP.

The idea is fewer people will need to get an appointment at their doctor’s surgery.

The changes being made later this year by NHS England have been described as a “major expansion of services under a radical plan” intending to make sure millions of people will receive quicker and more convenient care.

Oral contraceptive pills will become available from pharmacies as well as drugs to treat some common ailments.

The conditions pharmacies will be able to prescribe drugs for include: earache, sore throat, sinusitis, impetigo, shingles, infected insect bites and urinary tract infection.

The plans come as part of government efforts to help reform overstretched GP services and are similar to schemes in Scotland and Wales.

The new powers are likely to come into effect by next winter and the NHS claims they will free up about 15 million GP appointments over the next two years.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “GPs and their teams are working incredibly hard to deal with unprecedented demand for appointments.

“But with an ageing population, we know we need to further expand and transform the way we provide care for our communities and make these services fit for the future.

“We are setting out an ambitious package of measures to do just that – with pharmacies playing a central role in managing the nation’s health, including providing lifesaving checks and medication for common conditions for the first time.

“This will help us to free up millions of appointments for those who need them most, as well as supporting staff so that they can do less admin.”