Going to your local pharmacy offers an easy and convenient way to get clinical advice on minor health concerns.
Community pharmacies can now offer treatment and, when appropriate, some prescription medicine, for seven common conditions without patients needing to see a GP, as part of a major transformation in the way the NHS delivers care.
Highly trained pharmacists at more than nine in ten pharmacies can now assess, treat, and when appropriate, provide some prescription medicine for earache(for those aged between 1 and 17), impetigo (for those aged 1 year and over), infected insect bites (for those aged 1 year and over), shingles (for those aged over 18 years old), sinusitis (for those aged 12 years and over), sore throat (for those aged 5 years and over) and urinary tract infections (UTIs) (for women aged 16-64 years) without the need for a GP appointment.
Community pharmacy teams are highly-skilled, qualified health professionals who have the right clinical training to give people the health advice they need. Patients don'tneed an appointmentand private consultation rooms are available. Pharmacy teams can alsosignpost to other relevant local services where necessary.
Pharmacists have always helped patients, families and carers in their communities stay healthy and are well placed to offer treatment for health conditions. By expanding the services community pharmacies offer, theNHS is aiming to free up GP appointments and give people more choice in how and where they access care.
Don't wait for minor health concerns to get worse – think pharmacy first andget seen by your local pharmacy team.
For more information, visit How pharmacies can help.
Pharmacies open on Christmas Day and availability of pharmacies over the festive period
A list of pharmacies in Essex open on Christmas day can be downloaded from the NHS website, you can also use the 'Find a pharmacy' tool on the NHS website to check for any updates on the availability of local pharmacies over the Christmas period.