Pharmacy

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There are more than 360 community pharmacies in Lancashire and South Cumbria. These are open Monday to Friday, with many open Saturdays and Sundays including bank holidays.

Their location, opening times and range of services can be found on the NHS England Pharmacy locator.  

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy

Pharmacists are trained healthcare professionals who can easily help with minor illnesses such as coughs and colds, itchy eyes and earache. If symptoms indicate something that may be more serious, they can signpost you to other NHS services, such as a GP or A&E to get the help you need.

Local pharmacy teams offer a fast and convenient service and if needed can speak to you in the privacy of a consultation room.

So, if you’re experiencing a minor health concern speak to your local pharmacist to get expert advice straight away.

Community pharmacies are found on your high street, in villages, supermarkets, health centres, housing estates and online. They can be found anywhere people live and work.

You can find your local pharmacy using the NHS England pharmacy locator. This selects the pharmacies closest to your location and includes their opening times, contact details and services they provide.

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy

Pharmacies are best known for providing NHS prescriptions. Yet the pharmacists and their teams provide a much wider range of services at times and locations that are convenient for you.

Pharmacists can offer advice on a range of illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, ear infections and aches and pains, along with advice about your medicines.

They can then provide you with an over-the-counter medication for many minor illnesses or ailments where appropriate, which can often be cheaper than paying for an NHS prescription.

If they cannot help you themselves, they can refer you to a GP or other health professional who can help.

 

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Going to your local pharmacy offers an easy and convenient way to get clinical advice on minor health concerns, and now community pharmacies can offer treatment and, when appropriate, some prescription medicine, for seven common conditions without patients needing to see a GP, as part of a major transformation in the way the NHS delivers care.

Highly trained pharmacists at more than nine in ten pharmacies can now assess, treat, and when appropriate, provide some prescription medicine for:

  • Impetigo (aged 1 year and over)
  • Infected insect bites (aged 1 year and over)
  • Earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
  • Sore throat (aged 5 years and over)
  • Sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
  • Urinary tract infections (UTIs) (women aged 16 to 64 years)
  • Shingles (aged 18 years and over)

Community pharmacy teams are highly-skilled, qualified health professionals who have the right clinical training to give people the health advice they need.

Patients don't need an appointment and private consultation rooms are available. Pharmacy teams can also signpost to other relevant local services where necessary.

Pharmacists have always helped patients, families and carers in their communities stay healthy and are well placed to offer treatment for health conditions. By expanding the services community pharmacies offer, the NHS is aiming to free up GP appointments and give people more choice in how and where they access care.

Don't wait for minor health concerns to get worse – think pharmacy first and get seen by your local pharmacy team.

For more information and to find your nearest participating pharmacy, visit www.nhs.uk/thinkpharmacyfirst

As well as dispensing medicines all pharmacies provide the following additional services.

Disposing of old medicines

If your medicine is out of date or unwanted, do not put it in the bin or flush it down the toilet. Take it to your pharmacy to be disposed of safely.

Help with new medicines

When you start a new medicine for a long-term condition you can have up to 3 appointments with a pharmacist to:

  • answer any questions you have
  • help you use the medicine safely
  • make sure that the medicine’s right for you
  • get help with newly prescribed medicines

Promoting healthy lifestyles

Giving advice and promoting health advice by having available a range of leaflets provided by the NHS

Signposting

Pharmacies can help people who ask for assistance by directing them to the most appropriate source of help.


Some pharmacies also provide the following additional services. To check if this is available at your local pharmacy, visit https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy

Pharmacy Contraception Service

Pharmacists can continue your supply of oral contraception without having to return to your medical practice for a repeat prescription and can also commence the supply of an oral contraceptive pill if needed.  Both services are available free on the NHS.

Emergency contraception

Some pharmacies offer the emergency contraceptive pill for free on the NHS.

Get a free NHS blood pressure check

Some pharmacies offer a free blood pressure check for people over 40 years of age, or at the discretion of pharmacy staff for people under the age of 40, with high blood pressure (who have previously not had a confirmed diagnosis of hypertension) and can then refer them to their general practice to confirm diagnosis and for appropriate management.

Your GP may also refer you to your pharmacy blood pressure clinic for blood pressure testing and ambulatory blood pressure measurements.

NHS seasonal flu vaccination service

Each year from the autumn through to March, the NHS runs a seasonal flu vaccination campaign in pharmacies aiming to vaccinate all patients who are at risk of developing more serious complications from the virus.

Urgent medicine supply (referral only) 

For patients on certain repeat prescriptions who find they have run out of their medication they can be referred into a community pharmacy for an urgent supply on the NHS. 

The patient has to be referred into this service from organisations such a NHS 111, A&E and UECs

Other services that that may be available at a local pharmacy include:

  • Advice and help on how to stop smoking
  • HIV testing (South Cumbria)
  • Hospital discharge service
  • Minor ailments service
  • Palliative care
  • Sexual health
  • Help to stop smoking
  • Substance misuse service, including needle and syringe exchange schemes

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