Remember Minor Illness – Pharmacy First!
Pharmacists are clinical professionals who can give you advice on a range of conditions and suggest medicines that can help.
They may also be able to offer treatment and some prescription medicine for some conditions, without you needing to see a GP. Conditions that they can treat as part of Pharmacy First are:
- Earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
- Impetigo (aged 1 and over)
- Infected insect bites (aged 1 and over)
- Shingles (aged 18 years and over)
- Sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
- Sore throat (aged 5 years and over)
- Urinary tract infections or UTIs (women aged 16 to 64 years).
If you go to a pharmacy with one of these conditions, the pharmacist will offer you advice, treatment or refer you to a GP or other healthcare professional if needed. They will then update your GP health record. If you are not within these age ranges, a pharmacist can still offer advice, but you may need to see a GP for treatment.
Pharmacies can also help with a wide range of minor ailments, give advice on medicines, help dispose of old medicines, provide emergency contraception, give you a free blood pressure check etc. For more information on the services pharmacies are able to provide please visit: How pharmacies can help – NHS (www.nhs.uk).