Your local high street pharmacy can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and complaints - saving you a wait for an appointment with a busy GP.  Over the counter products can be purchased for most minor illnesses and injuries.

They can help with issues like:

• How to use various medicines or how to get rid of old or out of date medicine
• emergency hormonal contraception, or ‘the morning after pill’
• minor ailments – a pharmacist can help with prescription treatments for conjunctivitis, cystitis, impetigo and more without you needing to see your doctor
• the right type of cough and flu remedies for you and your family.

“Most of us suffer with coughs, colds or sore throats at this time of year and the best way of treating them is to visit a local pharmacy for a consultation with a pharmacist. They will be able to advise you on the most appropriate medicine to treat your illness.

 

“Of course if your symptoms are more serious then the pharmacist will know when to refer you to your GP, but in most cases you will not need a course of antibiotics as the cause is normally a common virus and antibiotics do not work on viruses.”

 

David Norsworthy, a pharmacist at Topsham Pharmacy

More information
To find your nearest local pharmacy, use our Search for a local NHS service near you page, look in your local phone directory, go to http://www.nhs.uk/ or text ‘pharmacy’ to 64746 to receive three free texts with details of your nearest pharmacies.

Find NHS services in your area

Click on the NHS Direct logo

Click on the link below to view or download the Choose Well A3 leaflet:

   Choose Well A3 leaflet

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