How to save your Pharmacy time by promoting the NHS App.
We are inviting pharmacies to support patients in managing their health more effectively by encouraging them to download and use the NHS App, particularly for ordering repeat prescriptions.
By using the NHSE NHS App toolkit to promote the app, you can help reduce avoidable administrative tasks and incoming phone calls, easing the day-to-day workload for your pharmacy team.
Benefits for your pharmacy
With just a few minutes of promotion each day, the NHS App can help your pharmacy to:
- Reduce workload by cutting avoidable admin and phone calls.
- Empower patients to order and track prescriptions digitally.
- Improve prescription accuracy, safety, and collection efficiency.
- Free up time to deliver more Pharmacy First and clinical services.
- Position your pharmacy as a trusted digital health champion.
Further benefits are listed below —
NHS England Toolkit: Prescription management resources
The NHS App Repeat Prescription Toolkit provides practical guidance and ready-to-use resources to help community pharmacies confidently promote repeat prescription ordering and also digital repeat prescriptions, with barcode functionality.
Also, as many patients visiting community pharmacies may not yet be familiar with the NHS App, we have also included promotional materials which are designed to help you tell people, including your patients, about the NHS App.
Access the NHS App Promotional Toolkits links are here:
The updated links are below:
- The new assets currently only include a general NHS App leaflet: NHS App general promotional materials – NHS England Digital
- All materials can be found here: Tell people about the NHS App – NHS England Digital
- The prescriptions materials can be found here: Prescriptions in the NHS App promotional toolkit – NHS England Digital
- NHS App help videos on our app help information on NHS.uk. There are nine videos so far and they are also available in British Sign Language (BSL) and as a YouTube playlist. They cover the core NHS App journeys such as how to request a repeat prescription, and more. The full video playlist is available here: Help with using the NHS App – YouTube with subtitles available in several languages (to select the preferred language, simply click the 3 dots to the left of the sign in icon on the video home page).
Join the NHS App Ambassador Community
To further support NHS App promotion, we are inviting community pharmacy staff to become NHS App Ambassadors. This network of digital champions helps promote the app to patients while supporting more efficient workflows within pharmacies and signing up is quick and easy.
How to sign up
With an nhs.net email:
📧 england.appambassadors@nhs.net
Without an nhs.net email:
📧 https://forms.office.com/e/BBUSSvk2Xw
Any queries: If you have any queries, please feel free to get in touch, nclicb.primarycaredigitaltransformation@nhs.net
We hope you find this helpful and thank you for your support in championing the NHS App within your community pharmacy.
Kind regards,
Marion
Marion Smith, MSc
NHS App Ambassador
National AI Ambassador Network
Digital Change Project Manager
NHS West and North London Integrated Care Board
nclicb.primarycaredigitaltransformation@nhs.net
Appendix
Benefits to Community Pharmacies of increasing patients’ use of the NHS App
| From | To |
|
Reduced pharmacy workload as patients order their own repeats via the NHS App, decreasing time spent managing orders and related queries. |
|
Fewer calls and interruptions as patients can view prescription status and manage nominations directly in the App. |
|
More efficient prescription collection with visibility of issued prescriptions and barcode collection. |
|
More time available for clinical services such as Pharmacy First, BP checks, contraception, and smoking cessation. |
|
Improved collaboration and smoother communication through patient-led ordering. |
|
Greater system-wide efficiency supporting digital transformation goals. |
|
Reduced medicines waste as patients only order what they need. |
|
Improved safety with patients clearly seeing prescribed items and avoiding discontinued requests. |
|
Improved digital inclusion and greater digital confidence through using NHS digital tools. |
|
Greater patient empowerment and satisfaction, reducing workflow interruptions. |
Key:
| Direct benefits to pharmacies |
| Benefits to the wider system including pharmacies |
| Benefits to patients (and indirectly pharmacies) |
