Your local pharmacy, or chemist, isn’t just the place where you pick up your prescribed medicines.
They can also give health advice. Pharmacists are qualified health professionals and are the right people to see if you need advice or over-the-counter medicines.
They are trained in dealing with many illnesses, they can check your symptoms and recommend the best treatment, or just reassure you – for instance when a minor illness will get better on its own with a few days’ rest.
Some of the problems they can help with are: coughs, colds, sore throats, earache, toothache and emergency contraception (the morning-after pill). They can also tell you when you need to see a doctor or nurse and you can get advice on prescription medicines.
Many of us live near a pharmacy and you don’t need an appointment to see them. They are often open in the evenings and at weekends, so they offer fast, convenient support.
Most of them also have a private consultation room, so you can have a conversation where other people can’t hear you. If you need it, just ask.
GP referral pathway to Pharmacy First
Patient journey to your Local Pharmacist
Urgent Medicine Supply Patient Journey
How does Pharmacy First work?
If you live in Leicester and contact your GP to discuss a minor illness or injury, your GP receptionist may offer you a same-day telephone consultation with your community pharmacist.
Community pharmacists are highly qualified clinicians and can offer medical advice for minor injuries and illnesses.
During your telephone consultation, your pharmacist will take your medical history, ask about your symptoms and any current medication you might be taking.
Following the consultation, they will offer you advice and where appropriate, offer you an over-the-counter product. Some pharmacists are also able to offer anti-biotics.
The pharmacist will make a record of the outcome of your consultation on your patient record.
If having given you advice/treatment, your pharmacist thinks you may need further specialist help they will be able to refer you back to your GP or recommend another health service for support.
What is considered a minor illness or injury?
A minor illnesses or injuries could include:
- Ankle, foot, knee, leg or arm strains and aches
- Bites or stings
- Coughs and colds
- Eye and ear infections
- Hay fever
- Headaches
- Mouth ulcers and blisters
- Rashes
- Skin conditions
- Sore throat
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s)
Why are we offering this service?
Pharmacists are qualified healthcare professionals and experts in medicines. They can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for all sorts of minor conditions, and a same day consultation can be arranged quickly and at a time to suit you. This in turns frees up GP appointments for those people with more complex symptoms who really need to see a GP.
What if i get free prescriptions from my GP?
Your pharmacist will provide you with advice on how to treat your symptoms, which may include a medicine or product. Medicines that can be purchased in a pharmacy to treat minor illnesses, are usually inexpensive and would not normally be prescribed by your GP. You are free to choose if you wish to make a purchase or not.
What happens if i dont want to see a community pharmacist?
We want to ensure that you are offered an appointment with a qualified health care professional based on your symptoms at the earliest opportunity.
However, if you prefer, you can wait, and you will be offered a routine appointment with your GP at a future date.
Can children use the service?
Children over one years old are eligible to use this service and can be seen by the pharmacist in the care of their parent or carer.
Why is this a good thing for patients?
Community pharmacies are local, open longer hours than the GP practice and can offer you the same consultation outcome at a time that is more convenient for you. If the pharmacist thinks you need to see the GP, they can help arrange an appointment for you.
Patients who have already used the service liked the convenience of having a consultation on the same day, or a day that suited them, at a pharmacy of their choice.
Self Care
The following are links to the respective NHS Choices conditions pages with advice and self help and where a Pharmacist could help. If the condition or ailment you are looking for isn’t listed, simply visit the Health A-Z – Conditions and treatments page and use the tools and links there to help you.