Revealed: What you need to say to a pharmacist to get antibiotics for your sore throat

It's the season for sore throats — including the infuriating ones that just won't vanish. NHS England's new Pharmacy First service allows your local pharmacists to prescribe medication for a handful of easy-to-treat conditions, including infected bites, shingles, urinary tract infections and some sore throats. NHS England's Pharmacy First Patient Group Directive gives pharmacists instructions for prescribing medication to patients in order to free up GP space. It comes after more than 98 per cent of family doctors in England backed the proposed British Medical Association industrial action to put a 25 appointment per day cap per family doctor. Pharmacists can now prescribe medication for a limited range of common ailments including infected bites, shingles, urinary tract infections and some sore throats.