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Patients in England will be able to get prescription medicines for seven commonhealth conditions directly from pharmacies under a blueprint designed to ease the pressure on GP appointments. For the first time, pharmacists will be able to write their own prescriptions, under health changes ministers and NHS England chiefs hope will be introduced from this winter, following a consultation with the industry. The seven conditions covered by the proposal are: earache, UTI, sore throat, sinusitis, infected insect bite, impetigo and shingles. It is hoped the measure will help to free up 15 million slots at doctors’ surgeries.