Key Summary
- Migraines affect 14 percent of the population and headaches are now the second leading cause of disability.
- In the last six years, A&E has seen a 313 percent increase in headache presentations.
- However, CCA said the new clinical pathway in to Pharmacy First should be properly funded.
A new report by the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), in collaboration with Pfizer UK, calls for the expansion of Pharmacy First to include treatment of acute headaches and migraines.
The report, ‘Increasing Access to Migraine Treatments in Primary Care’, shows that community pharmacies can support up to 1.25 million people with acute headaches and migraines.
This would give people faster access to effective treatment, helping them to return to work quicker, and ease pressure on GPs and hospitals.
Migraines affect 14 percent of the population and headaches are now the second leading cause of disability.
CCA pointed out that the pressure and cost of migraine and headaches on the NHS and wider society are significant:
- Every year, around 2.5 million primary care appointments in England relate to headaches, with 100,000 patients referred for hospital care.
- In the last six years, A&E has seen a 313 percent increase in headache presentations. Delays in accessing appropriate care results in worsening symptoms and avoidable referrals.
- In 2020 alone, direct NHS costs for headache treatment reached £250 million, and migraines cost the wider economy an estimated £12 billion in lost productivity and tax revenue.
Through Pharmacy First, community pharmacies already deliver treatment for a range of common conditions, and pharmacists possess the clinical skills required to assess and support patients with acute headaches and migraines.
The CCA said that the expansion of Pharmacy First would be beneficial to patients, employers, and the wider NHS.
- Every year, it would allow up to 1.25 million people to have accessible treatment from community pharmacies.
- This will help people recover sooner and return to work faster.
- It will improve equity of access, particularly in areas of high deprivation.
- It will also reduce pressure on A&E, general practice, and hospitals by preventing deterioration and reducing the need for onwards referrals.
- The move will also support the Government’s objective of shifting more care into community settings.
The CCA said the expansion of Pharmacy First service will also help reduce the £5.8billion of productivity losses by enabling people to get back to work faster.
Proper funding crucial
However, it cautioned that this new clinical pathway, within the existing Pharmacy First service, will only be possible however if it is properly funded.
The pharmacy sector is chronically underfunded, and any new activity to relieve pressure elsewhere in the NHS will need new funding.
CCA chief executive, Malcolm Harrison said, “The current model of support for patients with headaches is placing a huge and growing burden on the NHS, with many patients unable to access timely treatment.
"Headaches are the cause of millions of NHS appointments every year and have contributed to sharp increases in A&E attendances. Pharmacists are ready and willing to ease that pressure by supporting up to 1.25 million patients annually through the Pharmacy First service.
"With adequate funding, expanding the Pharmacy First service to include acute headaches and migraines would deliver faster, more accessible care for patients. This would help patients get back to their daily lives quicker, while also relieving pressure on the NHS.”
Hetal Naik, Primary Care Lead, Pfizer UK, said, “With headaches and migraine placing significant pressure on patients, the NHS and the wider economy, there is a clear case for exploring new, community-based approaches to care.
"Through Pharmacy First, community pharmacies are already delivering care for a range of common conditions. Building on this established model to include headache and migraine is closely aligned with the NHS 10 Year Health Plan’s ambition to shift care from hospital settings into the community, helping people access appropriate treatment earlier, closer to home, while easing pressure on general practice and emergency services."
The report was developed as part of a collaborative working project between the CCA and Pfizer UK, and is non-promotional.
The report was funded by Pfizer, and the pharma giant had reviewed it for medical accuracy and to ensure compliance with regulations.
Pharmacies have huge potential: NPA
In response to the report, National Pharmacy Association chief executive Henry Gregg said, "This report shows the huge potential pharmacies can play in providing treatment for a wider range of common minor ailments including migraines.
"In England, pharmacists can only treat seven conditions, but in Scotland, it is 27.
“The government has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to turbocharge the role of community pharmacy, which has a vital part to play in creating a redesigned neighbourhood health service.
“Expanding the number of ailments pharmacists can treat through Pharmacy First will not only end the 8 am scramble for a GP appointment but also deliver better, more convenient care for patients close to home.
“Pharmacies still face considerable funding pressures which need resolving and investment in them is key if the government are to shift care to people’s doorsteps.”
