A really positive experience

So glad this went well for you Bluebelle, I think this is the way forward, you can get seen/ assessed quickly and also free up a GP slot, win win. I have found our pharmacy staff to be very helpful too in recommending cheaper products with the same active ingredients as the pricey brands.

Thank you for sharing this. I will follow your good advice if I ever have the need. Just your little bit of thoughtfulness perks my day up considerably.

I look forward to being able to visit a pharmacist for minor treatment. They are very knowledgeable and will look at any other drugs you are taking to ensure that what they give you is compatible rather than just handing out a prescription that when you get home and read the leaflet, turns out to be one you can't take.

when I worked as a CPN we always used the pharmacists to scrutinise the mix of meds for possible adverse reactions. They are highly trained and in my experience really helpful.. I often see them looking at wounds,swellings etc in my lovely local pharmacy..

I've spoken to the pharmacist at our local Boots on several occasions for minor things and found them very helpful. I'm in the process of coming off addictive pain killing drugs that I've had to take following an accident. My GP surgery has a pharmacy and I've had weekly calls with one of the pharmacists. She's been brilliant, has helped me through the last month and I'm very grateful to her. tbh I trusted her more than a GP.

No chance of having a consultation at my local pharmacy, there is usually a long queue waiting for their prescriptions. They are over run and over worked.

As an aside it’s always a good idea to draw round any redness to keep an eye in case it gets bigger, as it could be cellulitis which needs dealing with asap.

My local pharmacist has always been very helpful, and often my first port of call, but we’re just about to lose one of the three pharmacies in our town and the queues at the remaining two are excessively long and only one has a consulting room.

When I had an infected insect bite a couple of years ago (I've had one before so was familiar with the symptoms), I phoned my GPs surgery and had a phone appointment with the practice nurse. She was helpful and prescribed antibiotics without seeing it. I think it's definitely better to have a pharmacist actually look at the issue and prescribe and probably much easier to get an appointment.

We have a pharmisist attached to our doctor's surgery and he often sees patients instead of the GP. I had to see him for high cholesterol and it was no different to seeing the doctor.

This has made me happy

I phoned by local pharmacy asking if someone would look at a "warty" type lump that had arisen on my leg. Only noticed it when, as it was itchy, I scratched it and it bled. Thought it was just a bit of an itch on side of leg. Pharmacy agreed, gave his opinion that I should see Dr and charged £90. Yes, watch out, some pharmasists are charging. Then saw Nurse Practitioner at medical centre, prescribed cortisone cream and she made appointment with GP who specialises in dermatology. He gave all clear and confirmed NP had correctly prescribed cortisone cream.Told GP about pharmacy visit and he said he too had heard about charges creeping in. Check if any cost before using pharmacy.

I ve never heard of a pharmacy charging was it one of the ‘normal’ pharmacies 4allweknow
What I wanted to bring to the fore was that since the new rules about pharmacists being able to prescribe for simple things, I feel it’s a big big step forward It certainly saved me a wait to get a doctors appointment and a bus ride there and back Within 15 minutes I d seen the pharmacist had a diagnosis and got my meds ( by the way they ve done the trick and my foot is back to normal)
Yes I know all about drawing a line silver lining I had cellulitis about 5 years ago, again from an insect bite and had lots of felt tips on my leg 🙂which seemed completely. oblivious of the anti biotics and just carried on growing up my leg until I had intravenous antibiotics at the hospital

Very different experience. I went to the pharmacy and asked about a spot beneath my lower lip. Pharmacist said it was an ingrowing hair and it would sort itself out. However two weeks later is was diagnosed as a cancer by my GP. Never again will I ask a pharmacist for advice.

I don’t think pharmacists are supposed to diagnose cancer but he/she should have sent you off for a gp appointment
I guess like everything in life some are good some not so but on the whole I think most pharmacists are highly trained and that the system is a good one

It’s not that easy to diagnose cancer is it? I think it’s a good idea where pharmacists are not too busy, but in some areas it’s an extra pressure for them, and pharmacies are apparently closing at a high rate, particularly in more deprived areas.

I posted on Feb 1st, the first day Pharmacists could prescribe.
My D also had a nasty insect bite, it was red and inflamed.
The Pharmacist said it was indeed infected and prescribed 5 days of antibiotics.
If my D had had to wait for a GP appointment she could have been very ill indeed.
This was early on in the morning and she was the Pharmacists first “ case”
He was delighted to have been called upon.

Well the pharmacy I used is a very busy one I think they seem to be very welcoming of the idea
I live in what’s considered a deprived area but we have about 7 pharmacies throughout the town and another couple on the outskirts perhaps deprived areas get more illnesses !
By the way I don’t feel we re at all deprived there’s a lot of well off areas around my area but we are considered it

You are lucky BlueBelle and great it worked for you. Not so good in my area and I was merely stating what the professional pharmacists body have said.