Pharmacy First for GP reception teams: safe signposting without overpromising

Pharmacy First can be a useful route from general practice, but reception wording matters. The community pharmacist assesses the person and decides whether a national service, another pharmacy service, self-care or onward referral is appropriate. Reception should not promise antibiotics, treatment or eligibility.

What reception can do

• Use the current practice-approved criteria and local availability information.
• Explain that the pharmacist will assess suitability.
• Confirm how the person should contact or attend the pharmacy.
• Record the offer, the route and what the patient was told.
• Use the agreed fallback when the pharmacy route is unavailable or the criteria do not fit.

What reception should not do

Do not diagnose one of the Pharmacy First clinical pathways, add unofficial exclusions or guarantee a medicine. Avoid using pharmacy as a blanket destination when the appointment book is full. Capacity pressure does not replace the approved navigation process.

Use accurate patient wording

Try: “The community pharmacist will assess whether this service is suitable and explain the options.” Avoid: “The pharmacist will give you antibiotics.” This protects patient expectations and the pharmacist's clinical decision.

Keep the directory current

Service availability, opening hours and referral arrangements can change. Practices need an owner and review date for their directory, plus a fallback for rejected or incomplete handovers.

Pharmacy First sits within module eight of the Reception & Care Navigation Academy, with the wider role boundary taught first.

Source

NHS England: Pharmacy First.