Closing the Pharmacy First Consultation Gap in Thames Valley

"Closing the Gap – Pharmacy First in Thames Valley," is aimed at local community pharmacy contractors. The primary goal of the podcast is to motivate pharmacists to increase their participation in the Pharmacy First Clinical Pathways service to secure full payment. Using June 2025 data from Thames Valley, the host reveals that while 327 pharmacies participated, 171 fell short of the required 30 monthly consultations, resulting in a lost network income of approximately £147,000. The podcast outlines several steps pharmacies must take, such as proactively identifying eligible patients and engaging GP practices, to improve performance, demonstrating capacity and consistency to commissioners.