Pharmacy First drop-in sessions

Talking to patients about the NHS Pharmacy First service

We’ve been working with the St Neots Primary Care Network (PCN) team to raise awareness of the NHS Pharmacy First service and help our patients understand how their local community pharmacy can help with some common health concerns.

As part of this work, Pharmacy First drop-in events were held at our practices, Cedar House Practice and Eaton Socon Health Centre, as well as at other GP practices in the St Neots area, including St Neots Health Centre and Great Staughton Surgery.

More than 100 patients stopped to chat with the primary care team, alongside clinical pharmacists from Boots and Wellbeing Pharmacy. Many patients learned that their local community pharmacy can offer advice and treatment for seven conditions without needing a GP appointment.

Pharmacy First is part of a national NHS programme that helps patients get safe, timely care closer to home. Trained community pharmacists can now assess, treat and, where appropriate, provide prescription medicines for seven common conditions:

• Earache (ages 1–17)
• Impetigo
• Infected insect bites
• Shingles
• Sinusitis
• Sore throat
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs) for women aged 16 - 64

No appointment is needed. Pharmacists can offer private consultations and will refer you to another service if further care is needed.

Helen Lattaway, Digital Transformation Manager for St Neots PCN, said: “The Pharmacy First drop-in events gave us a great opportunity to talk to patients face to face. The feedback has been really positive, with many people telling us they feel more confident using pharmacy services and would share the information with family and friends. This helps ensure GP appointments are available for those who need them most. Using Pharmacy First is always a choice. If you’re not sure where to go for help with a minor health concern, your local community pharmacy is a good place to start.”

You can find more information about Pharmacy First, including when it may be suitable for you, on our website [link page]. Posters and leaflets are also available to read and take away at our practices.

You can also use the NHS Find a pharmacy service to see which pharmacies near you offer

Published: Feb 20, 2026