Community Pharmacy Sunday Opening - Delivering Pharmacy First Plus Scotland

13:30 – 14:45

The Pharmacy First Plus Service Scotland is a Pharmacist Independent Prescriber (PIP) led service for patients presenting to community pharmacy with a common clinical conditions that fall beyond the scope of the standard NHS Pharmacy First Scotland service, and would otherwise require onward referral to another healthcare professional. 

In order to increase access for patients and to support Out of Hours as part of the NHS Forth Valley Winter Plan, the Community Pharmacy Sunday opening pilot was rolled out to increase access to Community Pharmacy services in particular, Pharmacy First, Pharmacy First Plus and Unscheduled Care over a period of six Sundays from December 2024 through to January 2025. 

This pilot aimed to improve timely access to treatment for common clinical conditions, reduce calls to NHS 111 and lower the number of Out of Hours presentations by providing care closer to home through community pharmacy.   

In this session, delegates will hear more about the positive effects of the pilot and the contribution that Community Pharmacists can make to Winter Planning. 

Delegates will also learn about the role Community Pharmacist Independent Prescribers can play in managing common clinical conditions during the Out of Hours period to support patients to access the right care at the right time.