NHS New Medicines Service
For the 15 million people in England living with a long-term health condition, optimal use of the appropriately prescribed newmedication is vital for successful management of their condition.
Failure to take medication according to professional recommendation can occur if the benefits of that recommendation have not been adequately communicated to, or understood by, the patient.
- Free service to ensure you get the best results from the medicines the NHS provides
- Book a New Medicines Service appointment, if we have recently dispensed a new medicine for you
- See our FAQ below for the list of qualifying health conditions
Why have an NMS consultation?
The New Medicines Service (NMS) is a free service offered to help patients understand how to get the best from their medicines. Your pharmacist is the expert on prescription medications and is available to answer any questions. Don’t hesitate to ask your pharmacist about side effects you may experience or about taking your medication.
Inconsistent or sub-optimal use of prescribed medication can lead to poorly managed long-term conditions. It can also have an impact on your quality of life. Additionaly, it can add pressure on to NHS services due to additional treatments and even preventable hospital stays. All this can easily be avoided by using NMS.
How it works
If you are eligible for the NMS service, we should have contacted you when a new medicine is dispensed. If we did not and you have started on a new medicine that meets the criteria on the NHS website, please do book an appointment.
Pharmacy+Health provides new medicines service consultations for many patients with long-term conditions. Our pharmacists are qualified healthcare professionals. They can provide clinical advice and recommend how you can get the best from your new medicines – quickly and conveniently.
How it works
Find a service
Find a pharmacy
Book an appointment
Frequently Asked Questions
Currently, patients with the following conditions may be eligible for a consultation under the service dependent on the medicines they have been prescribed. If you think you’re eligible and would like a consultation, get in touch with your local branch.
- Asthma and COPD
- Diabetes (Type 2)
- Hypertension
- Hypercholesterolaemia
- Osteoporosis
- Gout
- Glaucoma
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Urinary incontinence/retention
- Heart failure
- Acute coronary syndromes
- Atrial fibrillation
- Long-term risks of venous thromboembolism/embolism
- Stroke/transient ischemic attack
- Coronary heart disease
For eligible patients, this is an entirely free service provided by the NHS. From April 2023 the service will be expanded to offer patients who are prescribed antidepressants additional support in the community from their pharmacist.
Visit the NHS for more information about NMS.
In addition to face-to-face appointments in the branch, at Pharmacy+Health we’re able to offer our patients either telephone or video appointments with their local community pharmacist.