From 31 January 2024, almost all Community Pharmacies will offer the Pharmacy First service. This service includes the NHS Community Pharmacy Consultation service and, if needed, NHS medicines to treat seven common health conditions:

• Urinary tract infection (water infection) in women aged 16-64 years
• Sinusitis in those aged 12 years and over
• Sore throat in those aged 5 years and over
• Impetigo (a type of skin infection) in those aged over 1 year.
• Shingles in those 18 years and over
• Infected Insect bite in those aged over 1 year
• Ear ache in children 1 -17 years (note: this cannot be provided by distance selling pharmacies)

If you have symptoms that suggest any of these conditions your GP practice may refer you to this service, or you can walk into your local pharmacy and ask how they can help you.

The NHS community pharmacist consultation service can help you get a same day appointment with your community pharmacist for minor illness following referral from the GP surgery, urgent care centre or NHS 1111, or an emergency supply of a regular medicine following a referral from NHS 111.

Find out more about the community pharmacy consultation service

Find out how to get an emergency supply of medication from a community pharmacy

This is offered by all community pharmacies. The hospital can refer you to the community pharmacy to help with any changes in medication and to improve your understanding of your medicines are and how to take them following discharge from hospital.

This service gives advice about specified medicines prescribed by the GP surgery and includes medicines for osteoporosis. This helps you understand what the medicine is for, how to take it and how to manage any concerns you may have about your medicine.

Find out more about the new medicine service

A pharmacist can check your blood pressure for free if you:

• are aged 40 or over
• live in England
• are not already diagnosed with high blood pressure unless referred to the service by your GP.

Find participating pharmacies

You can start oral contraception or get a repeat supply of oral contraception without the need to visit a GP.

The contraception search tool is now available. Find a pharmacy that offers the contraceptive pill without a prescription – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Please note: There will be a transition period up to the 29 February 2024 where some pharmacies previously registered for the Pharmacy Contraception Service may only be providing the repeat supply element to the service.

If you live in Nottingham, you can use the maternity smoking cessation service. Support is available for:

• People trying to conceive
• People who are pregnant
• People with a child less than 12 months old
• Associate household members

Find out more about the maternity smoking cessation service

Many community pharmacies offer flu and Covid-19 vaccination for eligible patients.

Find out more about the Covid-19 and flu vaccination

Find a pharmacy that offers the NHS flu vaccine – NHS – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Find a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Eligible people can obtain a free box of five lateral flow device (LFD) tests from one of the pharmacies on our lateral flow pharmacy list. A positive LFD result may help determine whether you are referred to a Covid-19 treatment service. Find out Who can get a free COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test – NHS (www.nhs.uk).

(Pharmacy spreadsheet is accurate as of April 2024). You can also check which treatments and services are provided by individual pharmacies at Find a pharmacy – NHS (www.nhs.uk).