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The Pharmacists’ Defence Association has warned that the sector may be reaching “total system capacity” or even “exceeding safe levels” in a new report considering the growth in Pharmacy First activity since the service launched in early 2024.  

In the report, the PDA argues that a 25 per cent increase in Pharmacy First activity between February 2025 and January 2026 (from 4.9 million to 6.2 million yearly consultations) has come alongside a marked decline in pharmacy numbers in England, a significant rise in dispensing workload and no increase in the number of staff available to 

The organisation raised concerns that workload constraints may limit pharmacists’ ability to deliver Pharmacy First effectively, commenting: “In pharmacy, where there is limited or no past history of a patient, having adequate time to undertake a thorough consultation becomes even more important as patient history must be determined prior to discussing the actual condition. 

“Allowing for 15 minutes for each consultation including the recording of consent, gathering history including allergies, the consultation for the presenting condition itself, agreeing the treatment with the patient, documenting the outcome and, where required, onward transmission of the information to the GP – these consultations require time and involve a significant amount of work. 

“There can be no shortcuts.”

The PDA said it welcomes the “shift towards a more clinical role for pharmacists” but has concerns that staffing and premises are under-resourced to keep pace with the rise in workload this has brought.

“The present pace of growth in workload is not sustainable,” said the PDA, adding: “Extra workforce and better premises capacity is a necessity.”