Wednesday 9 May 2018

Support Your Local Pharmacy

My ankle is so much better- thank you for all the good wishes! A number of people asked for photos of the bite. NO!! It was nasty on Friday, more ugly on Saturday, better now. I know that many of you read my blog after breakfast, or in your coffee break, and I do not wish to make you feel ill.
But Kezzie said she was never sure when to seek medical help regarding a bite. Check out this page on the NHS website
But with most minor medical queries, I pop up to my local pharmacists. They are great!
They treat customers with respect, and patience, and offer helpful advice.
They are open long hours, and provide seating for the elderly and infirm, and always apologise if you have to wait more than a few minutes.
On Saturday, Bob went in before lunch to buy the Anthisan cream - and the assistant said there had been quite a few customers who'd been troubled by biting insects.
When we went back at 2pm, the immediate advice was to ring 111. The hospital confirmed all the pharmacist had diagnosed [cellulitis and infection] and now I am well on the way to full recovery.
Our NHS is stretched to the limits at the moment, our GPs surgeries are busy [and these things so often happen over a Bank Holiday weekend, or in the evenings...] Being able to ring 111 and say 'my pharmacist says...' was a help to the operator on the other end, and a reassurance for me.
For minor health problems, this is my first stop.
For simple first aid requisites, this is my first stop
For my regular prescription medicines [statins etc] this is my first stop.
I believe it is vital for me to support my local pharmacy.
You see, it isn't just about me.
My pharmacy serves the whole community.
They dispense and deliver medicines to many of the OAPs that I know, free of charge.
They help the young parents, anxious about sick children.
They have a good relationship with my GP's practice, and can sort out any problems with prescriptions.
They are available when the surgery is shut, and maybe it is not quite serious enough for A&E.
I know that lots of people these days get their repeat prescriptions from some anonymous, free, online service. It seems easier, just click the mouse...
BUT if everybody did that, the Local Pharmacist would go out of business. 
...And then they wouldn't be there to advise on my bite, or OAP Jim's pills, or the baby's colic. The National Pharmacy is rightly concerned about government policies which may cause pharmacies to close [see here] So please...


3 comments:

  1. Well said! I don't often need to use the pharmacy but you are right that they are a great source of information if you aren't sure about something!!x

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  2. So glad there are no bite pics, I really dislike shared photos of injuries. Just not necessary. So true about local pharmacies, not so sure if in store supermarket ones with extra long opening hours count as local but they are useful

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  3. Well put! We too have an online emergency service that you can call for advice and it is really very helpful when you just aren't quite sure of the route to go.
    I love my pharmacist - she - and all her staff - are wonderful and always so helpful - they are being asked (and given the right) to do more and more these days which takes pressure off the rest of the medical system.
    We have a system like the NHS and I don't like to see it over burdened. People complain about waiting hours in Emergency but the couple of times that I have had to go I have always been seen promptly - because they were actual emergencies. People who go with the sniffles or with something else minor just can't seem to understand that there is a triage system in place!

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