Ask Your Pharmacist

With winter fast approaching people are being encouraged to 'Ask Your Pharmacist'.

This week is national Ask Your Pharmacist week which aims to promote the use of this service instead of seeing your GP or going to A&E for such viruses as coughs, colds and sneezes.

In the past year over 23,000 patients contacted the 111 service about cold/flu and cough symptoms, a majority of these callers were advised to seek a primary care service which could have been a pharmacist.

Pharmacists can provide local care in the form of medical advice and can be used for health concerns such as:

• Dispensing and repeat dispensing
• Disposal of unwanted medicines
• Advice for healthy lifestyles such as tips on stopping smoking, eating healthily and getting enough exercise
• Signposting to other services
• Support for self-care

David Buckley, Head of 111 Service Delivery, said: “Pharmacists are a vital service in providing health care to the community and a service which is underused by most. There are many occasions people could gain the advice they need on a health matter from a pharmacist instead of making a GP appointment or calling 999.”