Pharmacies

Your local pharmacist (chemist) is your healthcare expert on the high street.

Pharmacists provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common health conditions and will be able to help you decide if you need to see a GP or other health service if necessary.

No appointment is needed, and many have separate consulting rooms for completely confidential advice.

Think Pharmacy First

Did you know your pharmacist can now provide some prescription medicine without you needing to see a GP? The new Pharmacy First service offers treatment for seven common conditions:

• sinusitis
• sore throat
• acute earache
• infected insect bite
• impetigo
• shingles
• uncomplicated urinary tract infections.

Your pharmacist also provides a blood pressure checking service and an oral contraception service.

Same-day consultations for many other minor illnesses can also be arranged by your GP practice.

These can take place by phone, video call or in person at your local pharmacy.  If the pharmacist thinks you need to see another healthcare professional, they will help arrange it.

The pharmacist will also ensure your medical record is updated with the outcome of your consultation, with your consent.

Pharmacists can:

• dispense medicine on prescription
• dispense repeat prescriptions without the need to visit your GP
• give advice on treating common ailments like coughs and colds
• help you manage long-term conditions such as diabetes and asthma
• give advice on medication, including if you’re taking medicine for lots of different conditions
• give advice on staying healthy
• give sexual health and contraception advice
• provide treatments for common ailments like head lice and athlete’s foot.

Many also offer free emergency contraception including the morning after pill.

Pharmacists are often open late and on weekends, and there are always some open over Bank Holidays.

Runing out of your regular medication?

Many of us take daily medication for long-term health conditions, and it is important to keep up to date with your repeat prescriptions, as running out of your medication can lead to serious illness in some cases.

The best way to avoid this is to ensure that you plan ahead and order your regular medications well in advance of them running out.

You should order your repeat prescriptions when you have seven days left of your medication. Your local pharmacy will need at least seven days to arrange your prescription, so it’s important you have enough to last until it is ready to collect.

Prescriptions can be requested on the NHS app, online, over the phone or face to face your GP surgery, and can be sent directly to your preferred pharmacy for collection.

If you’ve completely run out of your regular medication you can request a limited emergency supply online.

This must be a medicine you are prescribed regularly, usually through a repeat prescription. Find out how at 111.nhs.uk.