Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine will work in partnership with experts at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Universities of Oxford, Manchester, and Nottingham, and place a special focus on the services’ possible implications for antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance.

The project’s PI, Dr Rebecca Glover, Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, says:

"I am delighted to lead this complex three-year Pharmacy First evaluation jointly with Professor Nicholas Mays. We will evaluate Pharmacy First's impact on GPs and the wider NHS, pharmacy services, and patients. Our LSHTM team, which includes Drs Mirza Lalani, Agata Pacho, and Stephen O’Neill, has expertise in evaluating complex policy interventions, such as the last two UK Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plans, so alongside expert external colleagues, we will pay particular attention to the impact of Pharmacy First on antibiotic prescribing and resistance across the health system.”

Under the Government’s NHS Primary Care Recovery Plan, NHS England launched the Pharmacy First service on the 31^st of January 2024. By February 2024, participating pharmacies will be able to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions: earache, uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women, sore throat, sinusitis, impetigo, shingles and infected insect bites, after consultation with a community pharmacist.  LSHTM researchers will aim to evaluate Pharmacy First's take-up, safety, equity, cost effectiveness and acceptability, as well as the implications for antibiotic use and thence antimicrobial resistance.

Throughout the evaluation, the research teams will work closely with co-researchers who are from historically marginalised in research and medically underserved communities.  Moreover, each analysis will contribute to understanding the potential consequences of Pharmacy First for inequalities in access to health services and outcomes.