See how your pharmacy compares as July Pharmacy First data released

July 2024 saw the highest number of pharmacies meeting the Pharmacy First monthly threshold since it increased to 10 consultations in May, according to the latest Pharmacy First data.

Nationally, clinical pathway consultations and urgent medicine supply referrals increased overall. But minor illness referrals decreased in July 2024.

Scroll down for our interactive Pharmacy First dashboard to find out how your pharmacy compares to others.

Slight rise in pharmacies meeting Pharmacy First threshold in July

According to The Pharmacist's analysis of NHS Business Services Authority data, 7,543 pharmacies conducted at least 10 clinical pathway consultations in July 2024.

This was an increase of 7,131 from the previous month and the highest number of pharmacies meeting the monthly threshold since it increased to 10 consultations in May.

But in July 2024, an estimated 2,712 pharmacies who originally signed up to Pharmacy First failed to meet the minimum number required for a monthly £1,000 payment.

Since July, concerns over pharmacies meeting the thresholds have persisted.

Following concerns from the sector that pharmacies were unable to meet the planned rise to 20 in August originally proposed, the August threshold was lowered to 15 clinical pathway consultations.

The threshold then rose to 20 in September and stayed at this level in October, rather than rising to 30 as originally planned.

Despite growth, more GP referrals and patient awareness needed

July 2024 saw the total number of clinical pathway consultations - which do not need a GP referral - reach their highest level yet at 186,190.

Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists' Association told The Pharmacist the uptick was 'likely to be due to a mix of factors – an increase in UTI consultations, seasonality with an increase in infected insect bite consultations, and increased patient awareness'.

'This data shows that patients want to access services from their local pharmacy,' he added.

In the same month, GPs and other healthcare professionals made 110,511 minor illness referrals to Pharmacy First in England - the lowest number since the service began.

But urgent medicine supply referrals were at an all-time high in July at 122,269.

Mr Harrison suggested this summer increase 'will likely have been due to patients needing access to urgent care whilst away from home, for example, on holiday, and unable to access their GP'.

But he noted: 'Whilst we’ve seen growth since the service’s launch, we need NHS England to drive more GP referrals and do much more to increase patient awareness of the Pharmacy First service'.

Pharmacy First routes are bypassed 150,000 times each week, depriving pharmacies of more than £115 million funding each year, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has estimated.