Five more everyday conditions you can now take straight to the pharmacy

What happened

On 10 September 2026, NHS England announced that five more everyday conditions are being added to the Pharmacy First service in England. From autumn 2026, you will be able to walk into a participating high street pharmacy and be seen for migraine, acne, scabies, ear infections and rhinitis. If treatment is needed, the pharmacist can supply it there and then. You will not need to book a GP appointment first. The small print matters, because each condition has a set group of people it covers. The new pathways are for low frequency episodic migraine in adults, seasonal allergic rhinitis in children, acute otitis externa (an outer ear infection) in adults, mild to moderate acne in young people and adults, and mild skin and soft tissue infections including scabies. Pharmacy First launched in February 2024. Since then, NHS England says pharmacies have delivered around 14 million consultations. Roughly 2 million of those were for acute sore throat and about 1.7 million were for urinary tract infections. NHS England expects the five new conditions to add somewhere between 2 million and 3 million pharmacy consultations a year once the service is fully up and running. The timing is not an accident. The announcement was made as the NHS steps up its preparations for winter, when GP surgeries and A&E departments are at their busiest.

Why this matters

Most of us have had one of these problems. A migraine that wipes out a working day. An ear that hurts after a swim. Acne that will not settle. Itching that turns out to be scabies. None of them are rare, and none of them usually need a hospital. What they do need is quick access to the right treatment. That is the part that has been hard. Getting a GP appointment for something that feels 'not serious enough' puts a lot of people off asking at all, so they wait, and sometimes things get worse. The scale of that waiting shows up in hospital figures. In 2024/25 there were more than 77,000 hospital admissions in England for ear diseases, and around 47,500 admissions linked to migraine. Not all of those could have been prevented by a pharmacy visit, but many of those people were simply unwell and could not get help early enough. There is also a practical point about where pharmacies are. For most people a community pharmacy is closer than a GP surgery, opens longer hours, and does not need an appointment. For shift workers, parents with young children, and anyone without easy transport, that is often the difference between getting seen and giving up.

What the evidence actually says

It is worth being clear about what is known and what is not. What is known is that a very large number of people have already used the service. Fourteen million consultations in about two and a half years is not a pilot. It is a well used part of the NHS, and the fact that so many people have chosen it says something in itself. What is also known is that pharmacists in England are trained health professionals who complete a five year training route, including a year of supervised practice, before they can register. From this year, newly qualified pharmacists in Great Britain also register as independent prescribers on day one. So the people running these consultations are not guessing. What is not yet known is how much pressure the expansion will take off GPs and A&E. The 2 to 3 million figure is an estimate of demand, not a measured result. Independent evaluations of the first wave of Pharmacy First have found real benefits for access, but have also found that uptake varies a lot between areas and that some pharmacies struggle with the workload. One more thing the evidence is clear about: a pharmacy consultation is a proper clinical assessment, not a rubber stamp. Pharmacists are expected to spot when something does not fit the pattern and refer you on. If your headache is not a typical migraine, or your ear infection looks like something more serious, you should be sent to a GP or to hospital. That safety net is part of the design, not a failure of it.

Qurexa perspective

This is our world, so we will be honest about what changes and what does not. More treatment starting at the pharmacy counter means more people leaving with a medicine in their hand the same day. That is good. But the medicine only works if it is actually taken, at the right dose, for the right length of time. Acne treatment in particular can take weeks before you see a difference, and a lot of people stop too soon. That is where the day to day support matters. Qurexa delivers prescriptions across Lincolnshire and supports people with medication adherence, which is a formal way of saying we help people keep taking the medicines that were prescribed to them. If a pharmacy consultation starts your treatment, the follow through is what decides whether it works. We would also add one small caution. This expansion covers England. If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, your local pharmacy services work differently, so check what is offered where you are rather than assuming.

Practical advice

If you think one of these five conditions applies to you, here is how to make the visit go smoothly. Check first that your pharmacy is taking part. Not every pharmacy will offer every pathway from day one, and the rollout starts in autumn 2026. A quick phone call, or a look at the NHS website's pharmacy finder, saves a wasted trip. Go prepared. Take a list of any medicines you already take, including anything you buy over the counter, plus any allergies. Pharmacists need this to prescribe safely, and it speeds everything up. Be ready to describe the pattern, not just the symptom. For migraine, that means how often the attacks come, how long they last, and what you have already tried. For an ear problem, when it started and whether there is any discharge or hearing loss. Ask for a private consultation room. You are entitled to one, and you do not have to discuss your skin or your headaches at the counter. Go to a GP or call 111 instead if there are warning signs: a very sudden severe headache, a headache with a stiff neck, fever or a rash, confusion or weakness, severe ear pain with high fever, or any symptom that is getting rapidly worse. And if you are told the pharmacy cannot help, take that seriously rather than as a brush off. Being referred on is the system doing its job.

What to know

Five more conditions, migraine, acne, scabies, ear infections and rhinitis, are being added to NHS Pharmacy First in England from autumn 2026. Each has specific criteria about who it covers. Pharmacy First has already handled around 14 million consultations since February 2024, and NHS England expects the new conditions to add 2 to 3 million more each year. Pharmacists can treat you on the spot, and are trained to refer you on when something does not look right. Check your local pharmacy is taking part, bring your medicines list, and finish the treatment you are given. Sources: NHS England, 'Patients to get quicker treatment for migraines, acne and 3 other everyday conditions at pharmacies', 10 September 2026, https://www.england.nhs.uk/2026/09/patients-to-get-quicker-treatment-for-migraines-acne-and-3-other-everyday-conditions-at-pharmacies/ ; Pulse Today, 'Migraine and acne amid conditions added to Pharmacy First scheme', 10 September 2026, https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-areas/dermatology-and-wound-care/migraine-and-acne-amid-conditions-added-to-pharmacy-first-scheme ; Pharmacy Business, 'Five New Conditions Added to Pharmacy First Scheme', 10 September 2026, https://www.pharmacy.biz/pharmacy-first-five-new-conditions/ This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.