A scheme providing free medicines for common ailments is significantly reducing the number of Islington residents needing to visit their GP, according to a recent report. The Self-Care Medicines Scheme (SCMS) has been praised for improving access to healthcare and easing pressure on local surgeries.
The North Central London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) received an update on the impact of community pharmacy services, including the SCMS, at its meeting on 11 July 2025. The report highlighted that 84% of the 10,998 patients in NCL who used the SCMS in the last year would have visited their GP if the scheme had not been available.
The SCMS provides eligible patients with free medicines for a range of common conditions, including:
- Athlete's foot
- Back pain
- Constipation
- Hay fever
- Head lice
- Nappy rash
Eligibility for the scheme includes patients receiving Universal Credit, those with a valid NHS Low Income Scheme certificate, and young people in full-time education. However, the criteria extend to other groups, including patients under 16 with an eligible parent, those receiving Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, a Tax Credit exemption certificate, or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. Eligibility also includes young people aged 16-18 in part-time education or undertaking an accredited level 1 apprenticeship, and homeless individuals with a local authority 'Letter of homelessness'. A full list of conditions and eligibility criteria can be found in the Public Reports Pack. Further information can be found at cpe.org.uk.
The report also highlighted the success of the Pharmacy First service, which allows patients to receive advice and NHS medicines for seven common health conditions directly from a pharmacist, without needing a GP appointment. Almost all pharmacies in NCL now offer this service.
Other key findings from the Community Pharmacy Update included:
- 94.6% of patients found pharmacies easy to access.
- 33% of NCL patients opted to have their flu vaccination in a local pharmacy, and 60% chose pharmacies for their Covid-19 vaccination.
- A new
flu walk-in finder
tool will launch in October 2025, helping patients locate pharmacies offering walk-in flu jabs.
In addition to the SCMS, the meeting also covered other initiatives aimed at improving access to healthcare in Islington and the wider North Central London area. These include free NHS blood pressure checks for people aged 40 and over, and the Pharmacy Contraception Service, offering convenient access to contraception advice and services.
These initiatives are part of a broader effort to shift healthcare delivery closer to the community, making it more accessible and convenient for residents. The NCL Integrated Care Board (ICB) is also working with Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) settings to refer eligible patients to the Pharmacy First service, further reducing pressure on emergency departments.
Looking ahead, newly qualified pharmacists will be joining community pharmacies as independent prescribers from September 2026. NCL is also supporting a pilot of point-of-care testing in community pharmacies, checking lipids and calculating QRISK for selected patients in areas with high levels of deprivation and blood pressure testing.
The Your Local Health Team campaign is also working to raise awareness of pharmacy services, with local content receiving thousands of views. The campaign promotes the expert advice available at local pharmacies and important schemes like Pharmacy First.
