Supporting Pharmacy2U with the rollout of the Pharmacy First service
About the project
In early 2024, Pharmacy2U prepared to introduce NHS England’s new Pharmacy First advanced service. The service was designed to let community pharmacists handle episodes of care for minor conditions without sending patients to their GP. To make this work at scale, Pharmacy2U needed a reliable platform to guide patients through consultations, support pharmacists with clinical checks, and reduce the time spent on admin.
The challenge: delivering a safe and efficient digital pathway
Pharmacy2U required a system that could manage minor illness consultations, blood pressure checks, and contraception services within one clear workflow. It also needed to screen patient symptoms accurately so that urgent cases were directed to the right place without delay. Any solution had to be simple for patients to use and strong enough for clinicians to trust.
The solution: a tailored CRM and patient journey built for Pharmacy First
After reviewing the service needs, we built a bespoke CRM platform that supported every part of the Pharmacy First journey.
The platform included a patient-facing self-triage tool that gathered symptoms and guided people to the correct level of care. Questionnaires were structured with clear exit routes for patients whose symptoms suggested an urgent issue, ensuring they were redirected safely.
Alongside this, we added tools for automated advice, booking, and better use of clinical time. These features helped staff manage demand while keeping the patient journey straightforward.
The impact: a smoother service, faster delivery, better patient access
The work resulted in a fully branded web application that gave patients a simple way to complete symptom-based forms and receive appropriate advice. This reduced reliance on GP appointments and improved Pharmacy First conversions by preventing unnecessary escalation of symptoms.
Automated booking and scheduling eased the workload on pharmacists and reduced time spent on administration. This brought noticeable efficiency gains and helped teams focus on care rather than paperwork.
Analytics dashboards provided clear insight into how the service was being used, from patient demographics to common conditions. These insights supported better planning and resource management. Additional communication tools, including messaging and aftercare emails, strengthened ongoing patient engagement.
A continuing partnership
The project shows the value of close collaboration and a shared focus on safe, reliable care. By understanding how Pharmacy2U worked and shaping the platform to their needs, we supported a smooth and confident launch of Pharmacy First. The partnership continues to grow as new features are added to strengthen the service and improve the experience for patients and pharmacists alike.
