Additional services provided by community pharmacies in Devon.
National community pharmacy services
There are a number of national services that all Community Pharmacies can provide:
Pharmacy First Service
The Pharmacy First Service was launched on 31 January 2024. The service involves pharmacists providing advice and NHS-funded treatment, where clinically appropriate, for seven common conditions (age restrictions apply). The service also includes minor illness consultations with a pharmacist.
For more information in relation to the nationally commissioned Pharmacy First Service, please visit NHS Devon’s dedicated webpage or the NHS England website.
Pharmacy contraceptive service
The aim of the Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS) is to offer people greater choice and access when considering starting or continuing their current form of oral contraception.
The service was expanded in December 2023 to give people the option of being able to have a confidential consultation with a community pharmacist to request the contraceptive pill for the first time, as well as if it’s already been prescribed, directly from their pharmacist, rather than from their GP or sexual health clinic.
In future, the NHS expects almost half a million women a year to receive their contraception from their high street pharmacist.
Find a pharmacy that offers the contraceptive pill without a prescription
Blood pressure check service
The majority of pharmacies offer free blood pressure checks.
Watch this video to find out more about the service.
Find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks.
Local community pharmacy services
There are also some local services that Community Pharmacies in Devon can provide:
Devon Pharmacy First Service
The purpose of the Devon Pharmacy First Service is to ensure that patients can access self-care advice for the treatment of specific ailments and, where appropriate, can be supplied with a medicine without the need to visit the GP to treat their ailment.
For more information about this local service, including the minor ailments covered by this service, please visit NHS Devon’s dedicated webpage.
Access to Urgent and Specialist Medicines Service
The purpose of the Urgent and Specialist Medicines Service is to improve access to urgent and emergency medicines, some of which may not be standard stock for community pharmacies, during normal and Bank Holiday working hours in the community setting. For more information about this local service, including the pharmacies providing this service, please visit NHS Devon’s dedicated webpage.
Emergency contraception
Some pharmacies offer the emergency contraceptive pill for free. If you’re aged 16 or over, you can also buy it from most pharmacies.
