Pharmacies in the UK

Finding a good pharmacy in the UK

The community pharmacy has become the front door of the NHS. Under Pharmacy First in England, and the equivalent schemes in Scotland and Wales, a pharmacist can now assess and treat seven common conditions — sore throat, sinusitis, earache, impetigo, infected insect bites, shingles and uncomplicated urinary infections in women — and supply antibiotics where needed, without a GP appointment. Add emergency contraception, the contraceptive pill, blood pressure checks, flu and Covid vaccinations, and advice on almost anything, and the pharmacist is often the quickest qualified person to see.

Prescriptions remain the core: NHS and private dispensing, repeat prescription management with the GP, electronic prescriptions sent straight to the pharmacy you nominate, medicine reviews, blister packs for people managing several medicines, and delivery to the housebound. Independent pharmacies — still around 40 per cent of the country's — compete with the chains on knowing their customers, on delivery, and on being open when the chain is not; many run late nights, and every area has a rota pharmacy open on Sundays and bank holidays.

Every pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council and the pharmacist's name is displayed. The listings here show each pharmacy's reviews, services, opening hours and contact details, so you can see who is nearby and open now, who delivers, who offers Pharmacy First and vaccinations, and which chemist people in your town rely on.

What pharmacies do

Prescriptions: NHS and private dispensing, electronic prescriptions from your GP, repeat prescription ordering and reminders, and delivery for those who cannot get in.

Treatment without a GP: Pharmacy First consultations for sore throats, earache, sinusitis, UTIs, impetigo, insect bites and shingles, with antibiotics supplied where appropriate; minor ailment schemes in Scotland and Wales.

Vaccinations and checks: flu and Covid jabs, travel vaccines at many, blood pressure and cholesterol checks, and emergency contraception.

Managing medicines: medicine use reviews, blister packs and dosette boxes, stop-smoking and weight services, and advice on interactions and side effects.

Over the counter: medicines, first aid, baby and toiletries, with a pharmacist available to ask — the thing a supermarket shelf cannot offer.

Before you visit a pharmacy

• Nominate the pharmacy with your GP surgery or through the NHS app so electronic prescriptions go straight there.
• For Pharmacy First, walk in or ring; you may be seen in a private consultation room, and the pharmacist will say if you need a GP instead.
• Check opening hours, especially for evenings, Sundays and bank holidays, and which pharmacy is on the local rota.
• Ask about delivery if you or a relative cannot collect; many independents deliver free locally.
• Bring a list of your medicines for any check-up, review or new prescription.
• For travel vaccines, book two to three months before you go.

What pharmacy services cost in the UK

As a rough guide, an NHS prescription costs £9.90 per item in England (free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and free in England for children, over-60s, pregnancy and many conditions and benefits); a prepayment certificate at around £114 a year covers unlimited items. Pharmacy First consultations are free on the NHS; a private consultation £15 to £30. Flu jabs are free for eligible groups and £15 to £25 privately; travel vaccines £40 to £100 per dose. Private prescriptions are charged at the medicine's cost plus a dispensing fee.

If you pay for more than three items in three months or eleven in a year, the prepayment certificate saves money; ask the pharmacist, who will set it up.