Healthcare in the UK is navigating serious challenges. An increase in demand for health services, coupled with limited capacity, continues to stretch the healthcare system. With more people living longer and with complex conditions, the pressure on the NHS is only intensifying. To keep pace with patient needs, the model of care is evolving rapidly — and pharma brands have an important role to play.

In May 2023, the UK Government announced a plan to transform access to primary care, reducing the familiar 8 am rush for GP appointments by expanding capability across community pharmacies. The NHS signalled a clear direction: enable patients to receive timely support for non-urgent conditions and free up GP capacity for those who need it most.

Since then, demand has accelerated far beyond expectations. The shift towards self-care, combined with expanded pharmacy services, is reshaping how patients navigate the system, and how brands must support them.

The Rise of Pharmacy-Led Care

NHS England reported an 83% rise in patients seeking health advice from pharmacies between June 2021 and June 2022, a clear early indicator that behaviours were shifting. By 2024–2025, the trend had become transformational. Community pharmacies in England delivered over 5.4 million Pharmacy First consultations in just 13 months. More than 2.4 million of these were for the seven core clinical pathways, including over 835,000 sore throat consultations and 665,000 UTI assessments.

This shift reflects something deeper than convenience. Patients increasingly expect faster guidance, simpler access points, and support that feels local, familiar, and less pressured than a GP setting. Pharmacy teams are becoming the first clinical touchpoint for millions.

For brands, this represents a fundamental change in how influence, education, and patient engagement work across the healthcare ecosystem.

Pharmacy First, But Stretched Thin

While the vision for pharmacy-led care is strong, implementation is challenging. Community pharmacies were already managing intense workloads before the expansion of services. A single pharmacist will often dispense medicines, provide clinical advice, administer vaccinations, monitor long-term conditions, and support walk-in patients — all within one shift.

Workforce pressures have now reached critical levels. Community Pharmacy England’s latest Pressures Survey (2025) reported:

●      64% of pharmacy teams face staffing shortages

●      95% say these shortages increase daily pressure

●      70% report negative mental health impacts

●      21% have had to temporarily close due to lack of staff

The CCA Workforce Review shows sustained decline: some regions report vacancy rates of 1 in 4 posts empty, with a 14% drop in full-time pharmacists and 30% fewer technicians than in 2021.

Many are leaving for Primary Care Network roles where workloads are more manageable. The risk is clear: policy ambition is outpacing workforce capacity. Pharma brands entering this landscape must understand this pressure — and design tools and support that genuinely lighten, rather than add to, the load.

Responsible Prescribing and the AMR Challenge

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) stands as one of the greatest threats to global health. Drug-resistant infections currently cause around 700,000 deaths annually; projections estimate this could rise to 10 million deaths per year by 2050 without intervention.

Remote consultations, expanded during the pandemic, have been shown to shift prescribing behaviour. With fewer clinical cues available, healthcare professionals are sometimes more likely to prescribe antibiotics in telephone or virtual assessments.

A study from the University of Manchester revealed that:

●      33% of GPs feel pressured to prescribe antibiotics, often by older patients

●      Only 50% of patients understood antibiotics work only on bacteria

●      38% lacked understanding of antibiotic resistance

As pharmacies take on more prescribing responsibilities for common conditions under Pharmacy First, the risk of inappropriate antibiotic use becomes more pronounced.

This is an area where brands can make a measurable impact. By providing clear diagnostic tools, structured symptom checklists, and patient education materials, they can support pharmacists to make safe prescribing decisions and empower patients to better understand their treatment options.

What This Means for Pharma Brands

The expansion of pharmacy-led care introduces both opportunities and responsibilities for OTC and POM brands:

1.    OTC Brands Face Stronger Competition

As pharmacists take on larger clinical roles, they become more influential in determining which OTC products are recommended. Brands must ensure pharmacists trust the product, understand its suitability, and feel confident advising patients.

2.    POM Brands Need New Touchpoints

Primary care pathways now include pharmacists, meaning patient journeys will diversify. POM brands must rethink how they support conversations that no longer happen exclusively in GP practices.

3.    Suitability Tools Will Become Essential

Digital or printed checklists, interactive decision aids, and symptom evaluation tools help patients and pharmacists navigate conditions safely and quickly — especially as workloads rise.

4.    Clear, Responsible Communication Is Critical

In an environment where patients may self-diagnose or request specific products, brand teams must prioritise messaging that reinforces patient safety, appropriate use, and when GP referral is essential.

Supporting a System Under Strain

Pharma brands now have an opportunity to support primary care in ways that are both meaningful and commercially responsible. From AMR education to pharmacy workflow tools, from condition awareness campaigns to holistic patient support resources, brands can strengthen a system under immense pressure.

As Fiona Wylie, Founder and CEO of Brand Champions, notes: “Brands have more influence than they realise. When used responsibly, that influence can strengthen primary care, empower patients and support clinicians who are stretched to their limits.”

The healthcare landscape will continue to evolve. What remains constant is the need for brands to add value — not noise — to the environments in which they show up.

Where Pharma Brands Go From Here

Pharma’s role in primary care is larger, more visible, and more necessary than ever before. The brands that succeed will be those that recognise three truths:

1. Primary care is shifting towards pharmacy-led access.

2. The workforce is under unprecedented strain.

3. Patients need clearer, more confident pathways to care.

Brands that design with these realities in mind will strengthen patient outcomes, support clinicians, and build trust in a landscape that urgently needs it. For strategic guidance or tailored support, Brand Champions helps teams successfully navigate this new reality. Contact us for support at hello@thebrandchampions.com.