NHS Aligned

Right care.
Right place.

The NHS Pharmacy First scheme enables pharmacists to treat common conditions. Today, practice staff can check Pharmacy First eligibility and create and track referrals in Medelic. Automatic routing during triage is coming soon.

All Features
Coming soon

Patient calls with sore throat

AI Triage Assessment

Red flags? Complications? Duration?

Pharmacy First

Uncomplicated, eligible

GP Review

Red flags or complications

7
Conditions Covered
10,000+
Pharmacies offering Pharmacy First at launch
Same
Day Treatment

10,000+ is the national NHS figure at launch, not Medelic's network. Source: NHS England, January 2024

Pharmacy First Conditions

Seven conditions. One seamless pathway.

Practice staff can check eligibility for each Pharmacy First condition today. Automatic identification and routing during triage is coming soon.

Sinusitis

Acute sinusitis without red flags, 12+ years

Sore Throat

Uncomplicated acute sore throat, 5+ years

Earache

Acute otitis media, 1-17 years

Infected Insect Bites

Localised infection without systemic symptoms, 1+ years

Impetigo

Non-bullous, limited area, 1+ years

Shingles

Uncomplicated, early presentation, 18+ years

UTI (Women)

Uncomplicated lower UTI, women 16-64 years

How It WorksComing soon

Intelligent routing in action.

1

Symptom Detection

During triage, Medelic identifies symptoms matching Pharmacy First conditions using clinical keywords and contextual understanding.

2

Eligibility Screening

The protocol checks for exclusion criteria: red flags, comorbidities, age restrictions, medication interactions, and symptom duration.

3

Patient Choice

Eligible patients are offered the Pharmacy First option with clear explanation of what to expect. They can still choose GP if preferred.

4

Pharmacy ReferralComing soon

Clinical summary sent to chosen pharmacy. Patient receives SMS with pharmacy details and what to bring.

Example Triage FlowIllustrative, planned flow
[PATIENT] "I've had burning when I pee for two days"
[SYSTEM]UTI_PATHWAY_TRIGGERED
[AI] "I understand. Are you experiencing any fever, back pain, or blood in your urine?"
[PATIENT] "No, none of those"
[AI] "Could you be pregnant, or do you have any vaginal discharge? Are you getting up at night to pee, or is your urine cloudy?"
[PATIENT] "Not pregnant, no discharge. I'm up at night to pee and it looks cloudy"
[SYSTEM] Checking eligibility: Female ✓ Age 16-64 ✓ Not pregnant ✓ 3/3 key symptoms ✓ No red flags ✓
PHARMACY_FIRST_LIKELY_SUITABLE
Likely suitable for Pharmacy First - pharmacist to confirm and supply antibiotics if appropriate
[AI] "Based on your symptoms, you may be able to get treatment today from your local pharmacy without needing a GP appointment. Would you like me to arrange this?"

Benefits

Better for everyone.

For Patients

  • Same-day treatment without GP wait
  • Convenient high street locations
  • No prescription charge (NHS funded)
  • Extended opening hours

For Practices

  • Reduced appointment demand
  • GP time freed for complex cases
  • Full audit trail of referrals

For the NHS

  • Better use of pharmacy workforce
  • Reduced primary care pressure
  • Improved antibiotic stewardship
  • Aligned with NHS Long Term Plan

Align with NHS Pharmacy First.

Check Pharmacy First eligibility and create and track referrals today. Automatic routing coming soon.