The London Pharmacy Urgent Repeat Medicines (PURM) Service, initially launched as a pilot in April 2014, is now referring 200 patients a week to pharmacies and a permanent service is being developed for launch next April.

The four NHS 111 providers across London are committed to doubling this referral rate over the next eight months to ensure patients are seen in the right place, first time, says Rekha Shah, chief executive of Pharmacy London. NHS 111 refers patients to participating pharmacies via NHS.net email and pharmacists can make emergency supplies at their discretion and at NHS expense. Pharmacists record the supply electronically in order to notify the patient's GP, and for purposes of audit and claiming payment.

If the pharmacist is unable to make an emergency supply they contact the local GP out-of-hours provider to ensure the patient is contacted by another appropriate healthcare professional. The service only applies to patients referred by NHS 111 and does not apply to those requesting emergency supplies from the pharmacy directly.

"The provision of this service made an important difference to callers’ lives; allowing them to avoid either considerable inconvenience, such as cancelling business trips and holidays, or the risk of medical complications," said Ms Shah. Patient comments include:

• "It goes without saying I would've probably have to go home and go and sit in my doctor’s reception for hours and hours on end waiting to be seen for somebody to be able to see me to issue an emergency repeat prescription. It saved me a lot of effort; I could just carry on with my day as normal."
• "I would have waited for my GP to be open again and so I would have missed my insulin dose. I could have ended up in A&E."