Self-referral

Pharmacy First Services

The Pharmacy First service is available at participating community pharmacies across Northern Ireland.

If you have an everyday health condition, you can use the Pharmacy First service to get advice and treatment from a local pharmacist, without waiting for an appointment to see your GP.

Many community pharmacies have longer opening hours including weekends and holidays, making them more accessible than a GP surgery.

You can call into the pharmacy for a private consultation with the pharmacist without needing to make an appointment.

There are four services within Pharmacy First:

Pharmacy First for Every day Health Conditions

This service is offered from every community pharmacy in NI and provides advice and if necessary treatment for conditions such as:

Minor Ailments
  • acne
  • athlete’s foot
  • diarrhoea
  • earwax
  • groin infection
  • haemorrhoids
  • head lice
  • mouth ulcers
  • oral thrush
  • scabies
  • threadworms
  • vaginal thrush
  • verrucae

 

Pharmacy First for Emergency Hormonal Contraception:

If you are aged 13 or older, you can now get the morning after pill free from community pharmacies across Northern Ireland.

Find a pharmacy near you offering this service on this map.

When using this service, you will receive a private and confidential consultation with the pharmacist without the need to make an appointment. The pharmacist will provide sexual health advice which includes the risks of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and how to obtain free tests if needed.

As well as providing free emergency contraception, the pharmacist will give you advice about regular methods of contraception. They may also give you a free three months’ supply of the contraceptive pill.

What is the morning after pill?

  • The morning after pill is taken after unprotected sex to help prevent an unplanned pregnancy
  • You can take the morning after pill up to five days after unprotected sex but the sooner you take it the more effective it will be.
  • The morning after pill is not an abortion. It aims to prevent pregnancy by delaying the release of an egg. It does not work if taken after the egg has been released.
  • Your pharmacist will advise you to use additional contraception in the days following emergency contraception.
  • Although emergency contraception is available to those under 16 years of age there are guidelines when providing it. Your pharmacist will discuss these with you at the time.
  • The most effective emergency contraceptive is the copper coil. For more information on how to access this, see https://www.sexualhealthni.info/contraception

Community pharmacies across Northern Ireland will be able to provide further information about the service and have information leaflets available.

 

Pharmacy First for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

If you are female and aged between 16 and 64 you can be assessed and treated for Urinary Tract Infection symptoms in the majority of community pharmacies without having to wait for a GP appointment.

Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

  • A UTI can affect your bladder, urethra and kidneys.
  • Symptoms include a burning sensation when peeing and needing to pee urgently or more often than usual.
  • Following advice from your pharmacist many UTIs can be treated with simple medications that help with pain and fever.
  • Many UTIs clear up in a few days without the need for an antibiotic

You will have a confidential consultation with the pharmacist in a private area of the pharmacy. Your symptoms will be assessed and a urine sample taken if necessary.

The pharmacist will provide advice regarding self-care and what to do if your symptoms do not clear up or get worse. Treatment to relieve UTI symptoms is free of charge and an antibiotic may be provided if needed.

Pharmacists will follow-up with a phone call 72 hours after your initial consultation. They may provide further advice or refer you to your GP if your symptoms have not cleared up or have got worse.

 

Pharmacy First for Sore Throat (selected pharmacies)

The Pharmacy First Service for sore throat will be offered in 42 community pharmacies across Northern Ireland from November 2023 to March 2024.

Anyone over the age of four with a sore throat can access the service in a participating pharmacy.

A sore throat is often caused by a viral infection. Symptoms can last for around a week and usually get better without antibiotics.

The pharmacist will offer a confidential consultation in a private area of the pharmacy where they will discuss how you are feeling and the symptoms you are experiencing.

The pharmacist may carry out a test, usually a throat swab similar to a covid test, to find out why you have a sore throat.

Treatment is available free of charge to relieve symptoms such as pain and fever. The pharmacist will also offer advice and if the throat swab suggests that you have a bacterial sore throat they may supply antibiotics if needed.

If your symptoms do not improve or get worse the pharmacist may advise you to see your doctor.

CLICK THIS TAB FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LOCAL CHEMISTS THAT PROVIDE THESE SERVICES

Acute Eye Problems

ACUTE EYE PROBLEMS (NI PEARS)

Eye Problems & Emergencies

What is NI PEARS?

Northern Ireland Primary Eyecare Assessment and Referral Service (NI PEARS) is a service provided by most optometry practices across Northern Ireland for patients who develop a sudden eye problem.

The NI PEARS service is for patients who develop a sudden eye condition such as:

  • Red eye(s)

  • Pain and/or discomfort in the eyes, or around the eye area

  • Sudden reduction in vision in one or both eyes

  • Recent onset or sudden increase of flashes and/or floaters in one or both eyes

  • Suspected foreign body in the eye

If you are unsure whether your symptoms qualify you for an NI PEARS examination please contact one of the accredited optometry practices who provide NI PEARS for advice.

How to find an NI PEARS accredited optometrist

You can contact any of these accredited optometrists. This is known as self-referral. If the optometrist that you usually attend is on the list you are encouraged to attend that practice.

Alternatively, if you are making an appointment to see your GP or consulting your community pharmacist about your eye problem, you may be advised to attend your optometrist for an NI PEARS assessment.

Appointments are available during normal working hours and you will be seen within 48 hours.

You must be registered with a GP in Northern Ireland and bring your Health and Care number which is on your medical card.

What happens at an NI PEARS assessment?

The optometrist will discuss your eye problem including the symptoms you may have, any history of eye problems and related medical history. You will be given a thorough eye assessment to enable the optometrist to investigate your condition. The optometrist will explain your condition and may:

  • Give advice and treatment if required.
    Or

  • Refer you to your GP if your eye condition is related to your general health
    Or

  • Refer you directly to the hospital eye service if the condition is more serious.

If your condition is minor and non sight threatening the optometrist should be able to manage it in their practice. They may recommend an eye medication and will either direct you to your pharmacist to purchase the medication or give you a form to take to your GP to have a prescription issued.

The optometrist may also recommend a follow up appointment.