Pharmacy teams in Devon have helped more than 8,000 patients during the first five months of a ‘Pharmacy First’ scheme, which aims to improve patient access to medicines.

Developed by Devon LPC and Northern, Eastern and Western (NEW) Devon CCG and funded by the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund, the Pharmacy First initiative combines three services – a minor ailments service delivered via a PGD, a winter ailments service and an emergency supply scheme. The idea is to make it more convenient for patients to access prescription medicines and reduce pressure on out of hours services.

An evaluation has revealed that between November 2014 and March 2015, the services saved over 4,800 GP appointments, 1,818 out of hours GP appointments, and 210 A&E appointments. Furthermore, patients were happy with the service they received and would recommend it to others.