Your Local Pharmacy
Your local Pharmacy is the place to go to get any prescription medicines and clinical advice for minor health concerns.
Pharmacy Teams play a key role in providing quality healthcare.
Pharmacists can also help you decide whether you need to see a medical health professional.
Pharmacy First Scheme
The Pharmacy First scheme provides advice, treatment and medicines for common ailments from your local pharmacy.
How does it work?
If you have any common ailments, you can access the Pharmacy First scheme in two ways:
- Visit one of the pharmacies taking part in the Pharmacy First scheme. You will be seen promptly by a member of the pharmacy team and you can ask to be seen in private.
- Some practices use this scheme and may give you a voucher (one per patient) to take to the pharmacy.
What to expect from your Pharmacy Team
Pharmacists are experts in medicines, and use their clinical expertise, together with their practical knowledge, to advise you on minor health concerns such as coughs, colds, aches and pains, as well as healthy eating and stopping smoking.
They can help you consider the alternatives next time you’re thinking of making a Doctor’s appointment.
You can always call NHS 111, which will help you find the right NHS service.
What services do Pharmacies offer?
All Pharmacies provide the following services:
- dispensing
- repeat dispensing
- disposal of unwanted or out-of-date medicines
- advice on treatment of minor health concerns and healthy living
Other services that may be available from your local Pharmacy:
- Advice on alcohol consumption
- Support for carers
- Chlamydia screening and treatment service
- Condom supply service
- Emergency hormonal contraception service
- Emergency supply of prescription medicines
- Flu vaccination service
- Independent prescribing by Pharmacists – some Pharmacists can now prescribe prescription-only medicines for certain medical conditions
- Medicines use reviews
- Minor ailment service
- Needle and syringe exchange service
- New Medicine Service
- NHS Health Check – blood pressure, cholesterol or blood glucose testing
- Pregnancy testing
- Stop smoking service
- Stop smoking voucher service
- Supervised consumption of prescribed medicines
- Weight management service