
Minor Ailments Service
The Minor Ailments Service enables patients with a minor illness who are entitled to free prescriptions to access professional advice and medication from their community pharmacist without having to go to a GP.
This is a popular service with patients, pharmacists and GPs.
Pharmacists are skilled healthcare professionals in the provision of advice and treatments and this scheme makes pharmacy services readily accessible to the public.
The service requires an assessment of the patient by the pharmacist and the provision of advice and, if required, a supply of a medicine.
All pharmacies can be contracted to provide the service subject to staff having received appropriate training.
Details of the current scheme are outlined in the documents which can be accessed through the links below.
Latest News -October/November 2008
- Minister's visit to McKay's Robotic Dispensary on 17 October 2008

- Photocall of the visit to McKay's Robotic Dispensary on 17 October 2008 (JPEG 101KB)
- Pharmacy Update November 2008 (PDF 19KB)
Pharmacy Contract - Assembly Questions
- Assembly Question dated 18 April 2008 on progress of the community pharmacy contract (PDF 58 KB)
- Assembly Question dated 3 November 2008 on the length of time taken to agree a new community pharmacy contract (PDF 10KB)
Latest News - July/September 2008
- The Additional Pharmaceutical Services (Minor Ailment Service) Directions (Northern Ireland) 2008 (PDF 23 KB)
- Letter to Community Pharmacists (PDF 228 KB)
- Funding Structure (PDF 26 KB)
- Question and Answer Sheet (PDF 17 KB)
- Outline Service Specification and Standard 1 August 2008 (PDF 25 KB)
- Letter of 31 July 2008 to Community Pharmacists outlining Departmental position (PDF 240 KB)
- HSS(F) 41/2007 Verification of claims from pharmaceutical contractors (PDF 70 KB)
- Press Release dated 4th August 2008
- Letter of 15 Aug 2008 from Minister to Chief Executive of PCC (PDF 66KB)

