Take advantage of your pharmacy!

By Boots pharmacist Angela Chalmers

Sometimes going to see your GP isn’t convenient – and it’s not always necessary, either. Your pharmacist is more than qualified to help you in many situations and there are also many services offered by your pharmacy that you can take advantage of. You don’t often have to make an appointment, either, with many pharmacies offering a walk-in service that saves you – and your GP – time!

What services are available at my local pharmacy?

There are a variety of health services available from your local pharmacy and a quick conversation with your pharmacist will confirm what is available. For example the following health services are available from many pharmacies.

• The NHS Stop Smoking service, gives you 1 to 1 support from the pharmacist to help you quit for good! It is run in certain areas as part of the NHS & so for a £6.65 NHS charge (or FREE if you are exempt from paying for prescriptions) you can have 6 weeks of Nicotine Replacement Therapy, carbon monoxide monitoring & friendly support from the pharmacist. You double your chances of stopping with NRT & double it again with the support from your pharmacist!
• Free Medicines Use Review. It is a friendly chat with your pharmacist to make sure you are getting the most out of your regular medicines & new medicines. We all need an MOT from time to time!
• Emergency Contraception Service. If you have had an accident with contraception, don’t worry as the pharmacist can supply the emergency contraception pill. We do need to check that it is suitable for you. Generally there is a charge of £25 but in some pharmacies it will be available free of charge to some women. If it is not suitable for you or if we are unable to make a supply for any other reason we will direct you to a doctor/nurse or family planning clinic for help and further advice.
• Free Boots Chlamydia Screening & Testing Service (if you are 16-24 in our London pharmacies) or £25 to buy over the counter (in England & Wales only at present and a lower age limit of 16 applies). In London this initiative is run in conjunction with the Department of Health.
• Free Repeat Prescription Collection service from participating surgeries. We can arrange for your repeat prescriptions to be sent directly to the pharmacy of your choice. This saves you time in trips back & forth to the surgery. It also means your medicines are dispensed and ready for collection.

Remember that not all these services are available in all pharmacies in all locations. Your pharmacist can advise about what is available in their area.

What are the benefits of using your pharmacist over your GP?

The main benefit of going to your pharmacist first is that you do not need to make an appointment; you can just walk in off the street for free expert advice.

Most pharmacies are open at the weekend so this is a convenient option for people who work Monday to Friday as surgeries tend to be closed at the weekends. Some pharmacies now open for extended hours and a few are open 24 hours a day. The majority of minor ailments do not need to be seen by the GP so going directly to your pharmacist can save you going to the GP only to be told to see the pharmacist.

When to consult your pharmacist – and when not to

There are some serious medical conditions & symptoms for which you need to see your doctor or get medical assistance straight away.

They can include the following list of symptoms:

• Difficulty in breathing or swallowing
• Green, yellow or coloured phlegm
• Bloody phlegm
• Persistent headaches that do not respond to OTC painkillers like ibuprofen or paracetamol
• Chest pains
• Unusual bleeding or discharge from any body cavity
• Any unexplained pain in the body
• Unexplained abdominal pain
• Blurred vision
• Persistent fever
• Extreme vomiting and/or diarrhoea (especially if you are just back from a trip abroad)

Please bear in mind that this list is not exhaustive and that the obvious things (like unconsciousness, for example) have not been listed here.

What your pharmacist can help you with and what they can’t

Many minor conditions can be treated effectively in the pharmacy. Coughs, colds, sore throats and headaches as well as general aches and pains and irritating conditions such as thrush, athlete’s foot and a variety of skin conditions as well as many childrens’ minor ailments can safely be treated with over the counter medicines. But the important thing is that your pharmacist will know when to refer you to a doctor or seek medical assistance.

Of course one of the most important functions of a pharmacy is to dispense prescriptions for prescription only medicines. Most pharmacies offer prescription collection services from participating surgeries to help customers ensure that they always have an adequate supply of their medication.

If you do run out of your regular medication or if you have left it at home your pharmacist may, in some circumstances, be able to offer an emergency supply, but please remember that this is subject to strict regulation and sometimes the pharmacist may, instead, have to refer you to the local surgery.

Pharmacists can help you treat the majority of minor ailments and they can also give you advice about how to prevent them.

This means giving you advice to help you stay healthy as well as help you when you’re a bit under the weather!

Pharmacists can also provide up to date health promotion advice on…

• What vitamins to consider, losing weight, stopping smoking, healthy eating, vaccinations, malaria prevention
• Long term medical conditions such as High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Arthritis, Glaucoma, Asthma…
• Children’s health, women’s & men’s health, healthy heart advice
• Any medicine you are taking!

How do I ask for personal advice without the rest of the pharmacy overhearing?

It’s a common question and don’t worry about it! Pharmacies are committed to providing confidential advice within the pharmacy. They are trained to be sensitive to patients and know when to take you to the consultation booth or a quiet corner of the pharmacy. Pharmacists often have patients ask “Can I have a private word with the pharmacist?” and that also lets them know to respect your need for privacy.

Occasionally people are embarrassed to talk about certain conditions but rest assured that pharmacists will not judge you but will provide you with a sensitive answer. Please don’t worry or be shy about asking questions as it will almost certainly be nothing we haven’t heard of before! Sometimes people find it easier to talk about an embarrassing topic with the pharmacist first rather than the family doctor that they have been seeing since a child. Pharmacists can then put them at their ease and point them in the right direction to deal with their problem.