Local pharmacies offer many of the same services local GPs do.
Your local pharmacy can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of minor illnesses. They have private consultation rooms and you don’t need to make an appointment.
You can find your nearest pharmacy, including opening times here.
Minor Ailment Scheme
Local pharmacies are a convenient way to get expert advice for the treatment of common ailments, including:
- Athletes foot
- Bites, stings, and allergies
- Cold sores
- Conjunctivitis
- Constipation
- Cough and cold
- Cystitis
- Dermatitis/allergic rash
- Diarrhoea
- Dry skin (simple eczema)
- Earache, pain and headache
- Earwax
- Fever (high temperature)
- Flu
- Haemorrhoids
- Hayfever
- Heartburn and indigestion
- Infant decongestant
- Mouth ulcers and teething
- Nappy rash
- Oral thrust
- Scabies
- Sore throat
- Sprains and strains
- Sunburn
- Threadworm
- Vaginal thrush
- Warts and Verrucae
Other benefits from your pharmacy
- You don’t need to make an appointment to see your pharmacist.
- Your local pharmacy will have a consultation room allowing for privacy.
- By visiting a pharmacist first, it helps to make more GP and emergency appointments available for people with more complex healthcare needs.
- Many illnesses can be treated with over-the-counter medicines and advice from your pharmacy.
- A pharmacist will signpost you quickly to the right medical care if you have anything more serious.
- A pharmacist can advise on how long you can expect to experience symptoms for.
And, if symptoms suggest it’s something more serious, pharmacists have the right training to make sure patients get the help they need.
Find a pharmacy - NHS (www.nhs.uk)