Published on: 5 November 2024
This week is national Ask Your Pharmacist Week to raise awareness of the variety of NHS services on offer at local pharmacies.
Pharmacists are experts in the use of medicines, managing minor illnesses and providing free and confidential health and wellbeing advice.
Importantly, pharmacists are trained to know how to spot the signs of serious illness and will refer you to a doctor or other suitable health care professional for a check-up or for treatment if necessary.
Pharmacists are supported by a team of trained staff working under their direct supervision. They can include:
- Pharmacy technicians – skilled members of the pharmacy team who prepare, dispense and supply and issue a range of medicines to patients
- Accredited checking technicians, who are specially trained to undertake accuracy checks of medicines
- Dispensing assistants, who support the pharmacist in the management of dispensary stock
- And Medicines counter assistants, who provide a range of essential functions to support the rest of the team.
Pharmacies are part of the NHS family and the range of clinical services provided by community pharmacies has expanded significantly in recent years. Not only can you often visit your community pharmacy without an appointment, but increasingly your GP practice or NHS 111 may refer you directly to your community pharmacy for health advice or treatment.
Alison Rogers, Pharmacy Integration Lead for NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire said: “Professional convenient healthcare” from your local pharmacy team is the theme of this years “Ask Your Pharmacist” Week.
“With winter approaching it’s important people think “Pharmacy First”. Working closely with other services including GP practices to deliver care quickly and easily to patients from contraception services to blood pressure checks and treatment for common illnesses your local pharmacy team is highly skilled and well equipped to provide convenient clinical care as part of the wider local NHS team.
“Since January 2024 pharmacists in England have been able to supply prescription only medicines to treat seven common conditions through the Pharmacy First service. This takes referrals from GP practices, NHS 111 and Urgent and emergency care settings into community pharmacies for minor illness consultations or supplies of medicines.
“The aim of the Pharmacy First service is to increase access for patients, prevent illnesses from getting worse and also support general practices and other urgent care settings. And a big thanks to all our Herefordshire and Worcestershire pharmacies who are really making a difference for patients.”
Ask Your Pharmacist Week encourages the public to visit their local pharmacy for:
- Advice and treatment for minor illnesses such as sore throats, sinusitis, earache, itchy skin and urinary tract infections (UTI for women 16-64).
- Advice on staying well, preventing disease and stocking a safe medicines cabinet.
- Support to maintain good sexual health.
- Advice on stopping smoking.
- Personalised support on managing medicines day to day and how to get the most benefit from your medicines.
If you need NHS services, convenient access to advice and supply of medicines, support for healthy living and prompt clinical advice – Don’t forget to Ask Your Pharmacist!
