How it works
How a remote pharmacist consultation works
One terminal puts a pharmacist in your consultation room.
The proposed in-room workflow for your patient, your team and a remote pharmacist. NHS services in England have service-specific delivery rules; the operating arrangement must be confirmed before use. See what the specification allows.
Your Responsible Pharmacist remains on the premises throughout, running dispensing and supply as today. Remote Pharmacist adds consultation capacity; it never replaces your RP.
The model
Four steps, start to finish.
01 · Check in
Greet the patient
Your team: reception books them into the consultation room, exactly as today.
02 · Connect
Start secure video
Your team: helps the patient connect, with support and privacy agreed around their needs.
03 · Consult
Assess and advise
The remote pharmacist: a GPhC-registered pharmacist works through the relevant clinical pathway.
04 · Outcome
Record and follow through
Your clinical team: completes the record and next steps. Eligible NHS claims use the agreed assured-system route; a completed call does not create a claim.
What stays the same
The things you can’t change, unchanged.
Your Responsible Pharmacist
Remains required and present on the premises for dispensing and supply.
Your dispensing workflow
Untouched. The remote pharmacist adds consultation capacity, nothing else.
Your NHS claims
Still flow through your site’s NHS-assured Pharmacy First IT system and MYS.
Practicalities
Equipment, room and connectivity.
What you need
A suitable private consultation room, supported terminal and reliable connection. Check the actual setup and record access before starting. Use the room-readiness guide.
If the connection drops
Agree recovery and escalation with the clinical team. Reconnect, arrange an appropriate in-person assessment or reschedule where safe; telephone alone cannot complete a Pharmacy First clinical pathway.
When video isn’t enough
A documented convert-to-face-to-face protocol: if the pharmacist judges the presentation needs an in-person examination, the consultation converts or refers rather than pushing on. See the clinical-safety approach.
Honest by design
Which Pharmacy First pathways work by video?
| Activity | Suitable by video? |
|---|---|
| 6 of the 7 Pharmacy First pathways (sinusitis, sore throat, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles, uncomplicated UTIs) | Yes |
| Acute otitis media (earache) | In person (needs an otoscope) |
| Private and paid consultations and advice | Where clinically appropriate and authorised |
6 of 7 clinical pathways are video-suitable. See the full breakdown on the Pharmacy First page, or the services you can deliver.
Ready to see it live?
A 20-minute walkthrough of the in-room terminal, the consultation flow and the audit trail.