NHS Lincolnshire ICB is encouraging people to talk to their local pharmacy for advice on medications and treatments – and how to take them safely during the summer break. 

Information about pharmacies can be found here: Pharmacies – Lincolnshire ICB.

Pharmacists are highly trained experts in medicines, and can provide advice on the best medication or treatments for a wide range of common health problems such as coughs, colds or flu-like symptoms, stomach aches, ear-aches, sickness and diarrhoea, rashes, allergies, stings, bites, aches and pains.

They can also offer lots of useful advice on how to make sure you take medicines safely and make you aware of any possible side effects, in order to help you get the most from your medicines.

While most people go to their pharmacy for medicines and medicines advice, many don’t know about the range of other healthcare services they offer, including personalised medicines advice, help to quit smoking and to maintain good sexual health, treatment for minor ailments and advice on preventing disease.

A uniquely accessible workforce of qualified health professionals, in addition to delivering expert medicines advice, pharmacists are able to offer an expanding list of public health services, such as free flu vaccinations for vulnerable at risk groups, and they are available without appointment.

Pharmacists are able to deal with a wide range of ailments, as well as offering advice on maintaining and improving your health, and the majority now have consultation rooms where they can talk with you in private.  In addition, pharmacists are trained to know when a referral to another health care professional is advisable.

With this in mind, patients, their families and carers are being encouraged to follow these five simple steps when speaking to a pharmacist:

• Feel free to ask your pharmacist anything at all about your medication, health or wellbeing. Remember – they’re trained health professionals, and if it’s important to you, it’s important to them.
• If you’re visiting your pharmacy to get treatment for a minor ailment, be clear about your symptoms – what are they, and how long have you had them. This will help ensure they are able to give you the best advice possible.
• If you think the medication or advice given isn’t right for you, let them know. They won’t be offended and should be able to reassure you, clarify information, or discuss any alternatives.
• If you find anything is unclear about the advice your pharmacist has given you, say something. One way to do this is to repeat back what you think they mean and ask “is this correct?”
• If you want to talk to the pharmacist in more depth, ask if you are eligible for their free of charge NHS medicines advice services, designed to help you get the most out of your medicines.

Pharmacies may also be able to offer treatment and some prescription medicine for some conditions, without you needing to see a GP (this is called Pharmacy First). Conditions they can treat as part of Pharmacy First are:

• 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)

If you go to a pharmacy with one of these conditions, the pharmacist will offer you advice, treatment or refer you to a GP or other healthcare professional if needed. They will then update your GP health record.

If you are not within these age ranges, a pharmacist can still offer advice, but you may need to see a GP for treatment. Your local pharmacy can also offer free health checks, stop smoking support, blood pressure testing and much more with no appointments needed.

If you need more urgent medical help or advice over the Bank Holiday you can always visit NHS111 online or call NHS 111 anytime.