NHS Pharmacy First (Scotland) Service Turns 6
Published: 29th July 2026
This week sees the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland Service having been in place for 6 years, and what a tremendous journey it has been! Our network of community pharmacies has developed and delivered the service across Scotland throughout the six years, and the good news is that with the right infrastructure, support and investment, there’s even more the network can do for communities in Scotland.
Let’s look back to the beginning
It all started during the COVID 19 Pandemic in July 2020 when the NHS Pharmacy First (Scotland) service launched, replacing the previous Minor Ailment Service. However, it was planned to be so much more, building on the success of Minor Ailments and delivering enhanced care to everyone in Scotland.
Community Pharmacy set out to provide increased access for patients, as the first port of call for self-limiting illnesses. We are truly the “front door to the NHS” playing a major role in primary care health, supporting patients to access care close to where they work and live, and freeing up time for other healthcare professionals, for example GPs, to focus on more complex care.
…and that is exactly what community pharmacy has achieved, delivering care from over 1200 sites across Scotland.
But there is more!
In addition, the service has expanded to include the care of several common clinical conditions via a Patient Group Directive (PGD), including impetigo, shingles and skin infections, to allow the treatment of some conditions which would otherwise have needed supply on prescription.
And there is even more!
We have included the development of our community pharmacist employees to become Independent Prescribers (IP), which enables pharmacists to undertake training and to qualify to prescribe medicines for patients with common clinical conditions where previously they would have needed an appointment with a GP or another healthcare prescriber. In addition, all pharmacists qualifying from August 2026 will have the Independent Prescriber qualification at registration. At this time, almost half of our network is delivering this enhanced level of care, and we have training plans in place, which, with continued and increasing financial support, will ensure the majority of community pharmacists can become independent prescribers by the end of the decade.
So, what does this mean for our patients and the citizens of Scotland?
Anyone with a self-limiting common clinical condition can drop in to any community pharmacy in Scotland, where they will receive a consultation, and if needed, treatment or referral to another healthcare provider for further care.
For those who like figures, here are some of the latest from 2024/25 which show just some of what has been delivered so far:
36% of the Scottish population (1,942,214) used Pharmacy First Scotland.
60% of people accessing Pharmacy First Scotland were female.
81% of people who used the service received an item (for example tablets or cream) at least once.
Use of the service was higher amongst people living in more deprived areas, from 337 per 1,000 population in the least deprived quintile to 410 per 1,000 in the most deprived quintile.
We are not finished yet!
The development of the Community Pharmacy Independent Prescriber role is broadening the care we can offer to our patients. The service is currently available in around half of the Community Pharmacy network, and with continued and increased financial support, the plans to continue growing this will mean the service will become available across the community pharmacy network by 2030.
Scotland is truly the envy of the world with this groundbreaking service, and Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) has both hosted visitors from around the world to learn more about the service, and our team have travelled to other countries to talk about what we are doing, and support others to develop services of their own.
All in all, pretty impressive for a small country of around 5.5 million people! The development and delivery of the service is testament to the work delivered by the community pharmacy teams across Scotland, and something to celebrate and truly value as part of the Primary Care Network.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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The NHS Pharmacy First (Scotland) Service launched in July 2020, replacing the previous Minor Ailment Service.
Source: Scottish Government (https://www.gov.scot/publications/nhs-pharmacy-first-scotland-information-patients)
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In 2024/25, 36% of the Scottish population (1,942,214 people) used Pharmacy First Scotland.
Source: Public Health Scotland (https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-pharmacy-first-scotland/nhs-pharmacy-first-scotland-5-may-2026/)
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The service has expanded to include care for several common clinical conditions through Patient Group Directions (PGDs), including impetigo, shingles and skin infections.
Source: Community Pharmacy Scotland (https://www.cps.scot/nhs-pharmacy-first-scotland)
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At this time, almost half of our network is delivering this enhanced level of care, and we have training plans in place, which, with continued and increasing financial support, will ensure the majority of community pharmacists can become independent prescribers by the end of the decade.
Source: Community Pharmacy Scotland (https://www.cps.scot/nhs-pharmacy-first-scotland)
This week, CPS Policy and Development Pharmacist Gordon Winter joined BBC Radio Scotland’s Drivetime programme to discuss what the data means for community pharmacy and the wider primary care landscape.