Community pharmacists provide you with medicines, and more. They offer support and advice on managing long-term conditions or minor health problems such as coughs, colds and stomach upsets. You don’t need an appointment and most pharmacies have longer opening hours than GP practices.
Pharmacists are experts in medicines and how they work. They are often the first people we ask if we have a question about our health or medicines we are taking. Your pharmacist can help you check that your medicines (whether from the doctor or over the counter) will work well alongside each other.
Talk to the pharmacist when you’re prescribed a new or different medicine or if you’re worried about a medicine you’re taking. If you find it difficult taking your medicines, the pharmacist may be able to suggest ways to make it easier. They can help you work out when and how to take each medicine.
The services each pharmacy can provide differ, but they can usually do the following:
- Repeat dispensing, so you can collect your medicines from the pharmacy intead of having to go to your GP for a prescription.
- Talk to you about how to take your medicine and answer your questions.
- Deliver your medicines to your home if it’s difficult for you to get to the pharmacy.
- Provide easy-to-open bottles or containers if you have difficulty using your hands.
- Put your regular medicines in a special container, such as a Dosette box, to help you remember to take them on the right day and at the right time.
- Give you a medicines check-up. This is a talk about how you use your medicines. It includes all the prescription medicines you take such as tablets, creams and inhalers, along with any you buy from pharmacies, health shops or supermarkets, such as vitamins and painkillers.
- Offer health advice on stopping smoking, eating healthily and exercising.
- Support people who are doing self-testing at home. The pharmacist can give you advice on your condition, how to interpret test results and how to ensure the testing kits work correctly.
- Let you know where to find other health and social care services in your area.
