What can the pharmacy team help me with?
Pharmacists are experts in medicines who can help you with minor health concerns. They can help with your medicines, repeat prescriptions, minor illnesses, disposing of old medicines as well as many other services.
The pharmacy team can help with short term illnesses that are self-limiting (last a short time and the patient will get better in a few days). Colds, sore throats, headaches, diarrhoea, constipation and hay fever are examples of typical minor ailments. The pharmacy can offer advice and if appropriate they can sell over the counter medicines
To find out more visit www.
Understanding prescription charges and other health costs.
NHS prescription charges can be found here. For information about help with prescription costs and prescription charge expemptions, click here.
Community Pharmacy services are evolving, see below for further details of services which may be available in your area.
Find your nearest Pharmacy using the search tool below:Find a pharmacy - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
You can visit your local pharmacy to treat some common conditions with prescription-only medicines, without you visiting your GP.
Your local pharmacy can now supply prescription-only treatment, if they believe you need it, for the following conditions:
· Sinusitis (for patients aged 12 years and over only)
· Sore throat (aged 5+)
· Earache (aged 1 year-17)
· Infected insect bite (aged 1 year+)
· Impetigo (aged 18 years+)
· Shingles (aged 18 years+)
· Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (women aged 16 to 64)
If you are not within these age ranges, a pharmacist can still offer advice and support decisions about self care treatment with over the counter medicines, but you may need to see a GP for treatment.
To find pharmacies that provide this service please visit Find a pharmacy - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Whether you would like to start the contraceptive pill for the first time or you need a repeat prescription for the contraceptive pill you regularly take - You can now access oral contraception at your local pharmacy. For more information and to find a community pharmacy in your area offering this service, please visit Find a pharmacy that offers the contraceptive pill without a prescription - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Please use the following links to access information on the current Sexual Health Services Providers for emergency contraception services in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
For Herefordshire:Information can be found by clicking on the link below which also includes which community pharmacies provide an emergency contraception service in Herefordshire:
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For Worcestershire:Information can be found by clicking on the link below which also includes which community pharmacies provide an emergency contraception service in Worcestershire:
Repeat Dispensing is a way of getting your medicines without having to ask the doctor for a prescription each time.
Electronic repeat dispensing is a reliable, secure and confidential NHS service. Unlike paper prescriptions, electronic prescriptions can't get lost between the doctor and the pharmacy. Processing fewer paper prescriptions could save the NHS £millions each year and it easier for the NHS to manage ensuring that medicine use stays safe, effective and efficient.
Your doctor will send a series of electronic repeat prescriptions to your pharmacy in one go, so there's no need for you to order them each time.
You can collect your medicines from the pharmacy at regular intervals for up to 12 months without having to contact your doctor.
Your doctor will decide how often you should collect your prescription and how long it will last for.
When you need more medicines, go back to your pharmacy. Before dispensing the next issue of your prescription, your pharmacy will ask:
- have you seen any health professionals (GP, nurse or hospital doctor), since your last repeat prescription was supplied?
- have you recently started taking any new medicines - either on prescription or that you have bought over the counter?
- have you been having any problems with your medication or experiencing any side effects?
- are there any items on your repeat prescription that you don't need this month?
If you don't need all of your prescription, let the pharmacy staff know, so that they only supply the medicines you need. This will help to reduce waste and save the NHS money.
Community pharmacies are offering free NHS blood pressure checks to people aged 40 and over, often with no appointment necessary.
This involves around 10-15 minutes in the pharmacy consultation room with the pharmacist or trained member of staff. Following this, you may be invited to take home a blood pressure monitor that measures your blood pressure as you go about your daily life.
Depending on your blood pressure reading you may be referred to your GP practice. The pharmacist will guide you through any necessary steps depending on your blood pressure result.
Why get your blood pressure checked?
- High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a condition which can be controlled to reduce your risk of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular disease.
- In the UK there are about five million adults (one in every nine) who have high blood pressure without even knowing it, since high blood pressure itself rarely causes symptoms.
- The British Heart Foundation estimates that high blood pressure causes over 50% of heart attacks and strokes.
What will I Learn? Blood pressure – know your numbers!
Blood pressure is the force of your blood moving against the walls of your arteries. It is expressed as two numbers, one above the other. You will be provided with your reading and understand which category you currently fit into, be provided with information which you can use to help reduce your blood pressure if it is high or maintain your blood pressure within the expected range.
Which pharmacies in Herefordshire or Worcestershire are providing the NHS Free Blood Pressure Checks Service?
H&W Pharmacies offer BP Check Service – Google My Maps
For general healthy living and high blood pressure information visit:
If you're prescribed a medicine to treat a long-term condition for the first time, you may be able to get extra help and advice about your medicine from your local pharmacist through a free scheme called the New Medicine Service (NMS). To find out more, click here.
