Key Summary
- Around 100 NHS community pharmacies across England will offer rapid seven-minute cholesterol pin-prick tests starting this autumn.
- The service is open to adults aged 40 to 84 who are not pregnant and have not had a blood test within the past 12 months.
- Patients receive a full cholesterol profile, lifestyle advice, and an optional blood pressure check, with pharmacist prescribers able to initiate treatment directly if indicated.
Around 100 NHS pharmacies in England will begin offering seven-minute cholesterol check-ups this autumn.
It is part of an NHS drive to reduce heart disease and stroke deaths by a quarter over the next decade.
The NHS pilot, scheduled to run until spring 2027, will target individuals aged 40 to 84 who are not pregnant and have not undergone a blood test in the past year.
The test also estimates the patient’s risk of heart problems over the next 10 years.
Eligible patients can walk in for a quick pin-prick test delivering a full cholesterol profile in seven minutes, and patients will receive a copy of their results by email.
A pharmacist prescriber will provide lifestyle advice and determine whether any treatment is needed.
They will also provide lifestyle counselling, initiate medical treatment, such as statins, where appropriate, and offer concurrent blood pressure checks.
Henry Gregg, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association said: "This is an historic and positive step forward and we are keen to see this rolled out to more pharmacies in the network.
"We have been clear for a long time that pharmacies can play a much bigger role in our health system providing a wider range of care to patients, with the right levels of support from the NHS.
"The NHS should expand the role of community pharmacy, including rolling out prescribing more widely, increasing the number of conditions available through Pharmacy First and allowing pharmacists a greater role in the detection of long- term conditions."
London pilot
The nationwide expansion follows a successful pilot in north London led by Barts Health NHS Trust, UCLPartners, and HEART UK.
Between January 2025 and March 2026, the local scheme evaluated 2,493 patients across 61 community pharmacies, finding that 19% were eligible for pharmacological intervention and leading directly to 88 statin prescriptions.
In September, East London pharmacies, in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust and UCLPartners, launched a pilot for a rapid finger-prick cholesterol testing service.
By January, the cholesterol test had expanded to 70 more pharmacies in east London, reported the BBC.
David Webb, chief pharmaceutical officer for England, said: “Your local pharmacy can be a vital first line of defence against serious illness.
“By making it easier for people to get a quick and convenient cholesterol health check on their local high street, we can spot ticking time bombs earlier, helping people take action, and prevent heart attacks and strokes before they happen.
“This is the latest in a series of initiatives involving pharmacies in delivering care previously only offered in GP surgeries as part of the 10-Year Health Plan to bring care closer to where people live.”
Health Minister Alison McGovern added that the rapid walk-in model embodies the preventative shift required across the health service to reduce avoidable emergency hospital admissions.
Dr Sotiris Antoniou, Divisional Director for Clinical Services at Barts Health NHS Trust and clinical lead for the programme, noted that scaling the point-of-care testing model nationwide empowers community pharmacists to tackle cardiovascular health inequalities in high-risk areas through immediate, actionable interventions.
