Get Treated for Free With NHS Pharmacy First

NowPatient clinicians can assess and treat the following six conditions through the service:

• Sinusitis
• Sore throats
• Infected insect bites
• Impetigo
• Shingles
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women

If your clinician prescribes a treatment, the medication is dispensed by NowPatient’s online pharmacy and delivered to your chosen address.

You can use the NHS Pharmacy First service if you:

• Are aged 18 or over
• Are registered with the NHS in England
• Pass the condition-specific eligibility screening

Important: This service is commissioned by NHS England and is only available to patients in England. It is not available in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, or the United States.

The consultation itself is completely free. If your clinician prescribes medication and you are not exempt from NHS prescription charges, you will pay a single NHS prescription charge. If you are exempt (for example, you receive Income Support or are aged over 60), there is no charge at all.

Follow these steps to book your free video consultation through NowPatient:

1. Go to the NHS Pharmacy First Service Card. Find it in the ‘NHS Hub’ section of your account homepage. Select ‘Select Condition’ from the Options Menu.
2. Choose your condition and check eligibility. Select the condition you would like to treat and click ‘Check Eligibility’. Complete the eligibility quiz to determine whether you qualify. If you do not qualify, we will signpost you to the right NHS care provider or service.
3. Book your consultation. If you qualify, click the ‘Book Consultation’ button to proceed.
4. Choose a date. Select your preferred consultation date. You can also add notes to help the clinician prepare for your session. Click ‘Continue’.
5. Choose a time. Select your preferred consultation time and click ‘Continue’.
6. Choose a clinician. Browse available clinicians and select one. You can filter by gender and spoken languages. Click ‘Continue’.
7. Review your booking. Check a summary of your appointment and read the ‘Pre-consultation Requirements’ for tips on how to prepare for your video consultation. Click ‘Continue’.
8. Provide safety information. Enter your consultation address and emergency contact details. You can also opt in to receive an SMS reminder 30 minutes before your appointment.
9. Confirm your booking. Click ‘Confirm Booking’ to complete the process. You will see a confirmation pop-up and be redirected to your homepage. You will also receive in-app and push notifications.

Your clinician will ask you a series of questions to assess your condition and explore treatment options. At the end of the consultation, the clinician will decide whether treatment is safe and suitable for you.

If treatment is appropriate, the clinician will discuss the available options with you so that you can jointly agree on the best course of action. Once agreed, the clinician will issue a prescription order.

With your consent, the clinician may also inform your GP of the treatment prescribed. We recommend you agree to this, as your GP is responsible for your overall care and should have a record of the consultation and any medication prescribed.

Your clinician may also take the opportunity to offer general health advice, including guidance on healthy living or stopping smoking.

Please note: Medication is not guaranteed and is provided only at the discretion of the assessing clinician.

After your consultation, you will receive a notification summarising the outcome, including any referrals made to your GP and any advice given by the clinician. This notification is sent via in-app and push notifications. To view it, go to ‘Notifications’ on your account homepage.

You may also receive a short survey about your experience. We encourage you to complete it. Your feedback helps us improve the service for you and other patients.

If your clinician prescribes treatment during the consultation, follow these steps to complete your order:

1. Go to your Cart. Use the account navigation to open your Cart.
2. Complete the NHS Exemption Declaration. A pop-up will appear for each NHS item in your Cart. Confirm whether you are exempt from paying the NHS prescription charge.
3. Select ‘Checkout’. Proceed from the Cart to the checkout process.
4. Choose your delivery address. Select or add the address where you would like your medication delivered.
5. Choose your delivery method. Select from the available delivery options.
6. Confirm your billing address. Review and confirm your billing details.
7. Review your order. Check the order summary to make sure everything is correct.
8. Submit payment. Complete payment on our secure banking page. NowPatient never handles your payment details — all payments are processed securely by our banking partner.
9. Order confirmed. You will see an order confirmation screen and be redirected to your account homepage.

During the virtual consultation, we will ask for your consent to provide the service. This is required so we can communicate with your GP and share information with NHS England, NHS Improvement, and the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) if needed.

NowPatient’s clinicians are board-certified pharmacists qualified to prescribe selected medications for six common conditions, as outlined by the NHS.

Every clinician is registered with the appropriate regulatory body, for example, pharmacists are registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). All clinicians undergo thorough background checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, and a comprehensive licence verification process.

When you book an appointment, you can view the clinician’s full name, licence number, and any specialist credentials.

The medications and conditions our clinicians can prescribe and treat are strictly governed, risk-assessed, and regularly reviewed in line with NHS guidelines. The service is delivered via remote video consultations (synchronous consultations) to help ensure clinical safety and appropriate prescribing.

As an NHS patient, our clinicians can access your GP record, including medications, observations, and investigations. This ensures our clinicians can assess you appropriately and make safe prescribing decisions.

NowPatient’s pharmacists provide medication advice and counselling across all dispensing services. If you have any questions about medication prescribed through Pharmacy First, our pharmacists are available to help.