Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI) has revealed new research showing that consultations carried out in community pharmacies prevented an estimated 1.28 million attendances at GP surgeries, out of hours services and emergency departments over the course of a year. The findings form the basis of a statement from Gerard Greene, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy NI, who emphasised the critical role pharmacies now play in supporting a stretched health system.
Mr Greene issued the statement in response to the Public Accounts Committee report on Access to General Practice in Northern Ireland. The report acknowledges the significant pressures facing primary care and recommends greater public education to help patients choose the most appropriate route to treatment. It highlights community pharmacy as an important part of that pathway.
While welcoming this recognition, Gerard Greene said the report also reflects a missed opportunity to expand the clinical scope of community pharmacies. He urged the Minister of Health to explore the wider potential within the pharmacy network to help deliver the shift left ambition for care in Northern Ireland.
He noted that community pharmacies are already delivering an expanding range of services that improve patient access and relieve pressure on GP practices, emergency departments and hospital services. Early advice and treatment prevent deterioration in many conditions, ensuring patients receive care at the right time and in the right place.
In a recent six month period alone, nearly forty thousand consultations were delivered through Pharmacy First for sore throat, urinary tract infection and emergency hormonal contraception. Community Pharmacy NI also conducted a survey in September 2025 which measured the wider system impact of pharmacy consultations. The survey found that in one week, twenty four thousand seven hundred consultations provided in community pharmacies prevented attendance at another healthcare service. This equates to 1.28 million prevented attendances across a full year.
Mr Greene said these figures underline the value of community pharmacy in managing demand across the health service. He noted that pharmacies themselves are facing sustained pressure as a result of unprecedented demand across primary and community care.
He added that there is extensive clinical experience within the pharmacy network, and with appropriate investment this established and trusted workforce can take on more responsibilities. One proposed intervention is enabling community pharmacies to manage repeat prescriptions for patients, which would ease pressure on GP practices and streamline processes for patients.
Mr Greene said the ongoing pressures across the system make this a timely opportunity to remind the public that flu and covid vaccinations are available through community pharmacies. This comes during a week when winter illness and emergency department pressures are already visibly increasing.