Pharmacists can give you advice on a range of conditions and suggest medicines that can help.
They may also be able to offer treatment and prescription medicine for some conditions, without you needing to see a GP. This service is known as Pharmacy First. Conditions that can be treated are:
- earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
- impetigo (skin infection) (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 (women aged 16 to 64 years)
If you go to a pharmacy with one of these conditions, the pharmacist will:
- offer you advice or 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.