Monday 3 November to Sunday 10 November 2025.
As winter approaches, Lincolnshire ICB join with community pharmacies across Lincolnshire in marking Ask Your Pharmacist Week. This year, the national theme — “Ask Your Pharmacist: NHS services close to home” — encourages everyone to remember that your local pharmacy is not just a place to collect prescriptions, but a vital part of the NHS offering accessible clinical care close to home.
Photo: Blazej Jasnowski, Superintendent Pharmacist and Independent Prescriber at East Midlands Pharmacy Lincoln.
What can your local Community pharmacy can offer?
Many people think of their GP surgery or hospital as the only place for health advice or treatment. Yet, in communities across Lincolnshire, local pharmacy teams deliver a range of NHS-services—often with no appointment needed. By using your pharmacy for the right issues, you support faster access to care and help ease workloads across the health system.
Here are some of the services already making a big difference locally:
Pharmacy First
The service offers assessment and self-care advice and treatment for minor ailments (sore throat, earache, skin issues)
In addition, the Pharmacy first service offers clinical assessment and prescription treatment for 7 conditions named below – often without needing a GP appointment.
- earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
- impetigo (aged 1 year and over)
- infected insect bites (aged 1 year and over)
- shingles (aged 18 years and over)
- sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
- sore throat (aged 5 years and over)
- urinary tract infections or UTIs (women aged 16 to 64 years)
Oral Contraception Service
NHS community pharmacies are an accessible and convenient place for people to receive advice and support for contraception management. Participating community pharmacies in Lincolnshire provide help with sexual health offering clinical assessment and provision of emergency and oral contraception thus delivering convenient care close to home.
Blood pressure check service
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of premature death in England. Early detection of elevated blood pressure is vital, allowing diagnosis and treatment thus preventing risks of strokes and heart attacks. Participating pharmacies offer clinic blood pressure reading and are also able to confirm high blood pressure using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring which monitors and record blood pressure at regular intervals over a 24-hour period.
Vaccinations and public-health services
Local community pharmacies offer vaccinations for Flu and Covid -19. From October 2025, selected pharmacies in Lincolnshire are also providing flu vaccinations for toddlers aged 2-3 years old.
The bigger picture
Local Pharmacies in Lincolnshire are already providing the following services:
- New Medicine Service– providing advice and support for patients who have been newly prescribed a medicine for a long-term condition.
- Healthy-living support – stopping smoking, weight management, lifestyle advice.
- Referral/signposting – if your pharmacist sees something needing more specialist care, they’ll guide you to the right service.
- Self-care – managing minor illnesses and maintaining health through over the counter (OTC) medicines and lifestyle choices.
Message from Lincolnshire ICB
At Lincolnshire ICB we’re committed to making health care more accessible and convenient. Our community pharmacies are a key part of that. During Ask Your Pharmacist Week, we want everyone in our county to:
- Visit your local pharmacy during the week or anytime: ask what services they offer beyond dispensing.
- Talk to the pharmacist about any questions with your medicine, health concern or lifestyle change.
- Use the pharmacy early for minor concerns rather than waiting until things escalate.
- Share the message with friends, family, especially older people or those managing long-term conditions: your pharmacy is part of their care network too.
- Support your pharmacy team: their role is growing; acknowledging this helps build the relationships that improve care locally.
We thank the dedicated pharmacy teams across Lincolnshire for their ongoing work – and invite our residents to connect with them this week and beyond.
Useful reminder for residents
- Check the opening hours of your local pharmacy – many have early/late or weekend access.
- Bring a list of your medicines (including over-the-counter ones) if you have any queries or concerns about your medicine.
- Remember: for some conditions you may not need a GP appointment — your pharmacy may be able to help.
- Keep your pharmacy’s contact details handy for future reference.