A community pharmacist-founded digital platform that allows patients across England to book “free video consultations” as part of the Pharmacy First service has now launched, the platform announced earlier this month (June 12).

The new My Local Surgery “digital healthcare hub” is “unlike typical online pharmacy models” in that its services will be “delivered by community pharmacies who have clinical capacity to support more patients”, it said.

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The platform connects pharmacists with patients seeking online appointments, allowing them to “allocate available time to appointment slots” and matching them with patients seeking a digital Pharmacy First consultation, it added.

It will facilitate online appointments for six of the seven common conditions covered by Pharmacy First, with earache being the only exception, it said.

As well as “providing a secure digital space for NHS Pharmacy First consultations”, the platform also facilitates “other clinical services”, it added.

 

“24-hour postal service”

 

The platform includes pre-consultation screenings and appointment reminders for patients via text message or WhatsApp, My Local Surgery said.

It also permits the “secure sharing of photos” to support consultations “if required”, such as for cases of impetigo, it added.

The platform said that medication dispensed by the prescribing pharmacist will be delivered “via an express 24-hour postal service”.

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My Local Surgery will also partner with nurse prescribers and pharmacists to “provide access to private consultations”, it added.

But a spokesperson confirmed to C+D that this feature has not yet launched as the platform is first focusing on the Pharmacy First service.

 

“Pharmacy, tech and clinical expertise”

 

The team behind My Local Surgery combines “pharmacy, tech and clinical services expertise”, it said.

The founding members include community pharmacists Darren Lingaloo and Gulraj Dhillon, as well as tech and logistics specialist Nav Ramiah and NHS doctor Dr Adam Kirk, it added.

Chief pharmacist Lingaloo said that there has been “huge digital demand” for Pharmacy First appointments, with the platform reaching “full capacity” during its initial launch phase.

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He added that with “many” pharmacies investing in consulting facilities and staff to support Pharmacy First, those “with additional clinical capacity will also now be able to provide online consultations to patients across England through My Local Surgery”.

Chief medical advisor at My Local Surgery Dr Adam Kirk said that the platform delivers “rapid service to treat common conditions” for patients.

Kirk added that the service also provides community pharmacists with “the opportunity to use their clinical skills to support the growing demand for online consultations.”

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Pharmacists from The Village Pharmacy, which operates several pharmacies in Stubbington and Kent, were the first to utilise the online consultation platform ahead of the wider rollout, My Local Surgery said.

It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reaffirmed his support for the Pharmacy First scheme should the Conservative government be re-elected on July 4 in an exclusive op-ed for C+D last week.

Meanwhile, pharmacy app Healthera launched a “Pharmacy First referral network” earlier this year that enables pharmacists to screen patients and book consultations for the service.