Are pharmacists sufficiently trained?

I have had antibiotics for skin infections lots of times. GPs sometimes prescribe them over the phone. I would be happier with a pharmacist who has actually seen it.
Triage nurses and junior doctors that you see in A&E are also not trained specifically in skin issues.
At my GP practice asthma reviews are now on the phone with a pharmacist. Pharmacists are also triaging requests for urgent appointments.
We have to trust that the NHS are employing suitable medically qualified staff to diagnose and prescribe appropriately.

Best of luck Whitewave
I got a dog tooth into my arm when separating my young lab from a huge German shepherd - both on lead luckily but the gsd on one of the dangerous extendable. Scrap over in seconds but my dogs tooth caught me rather than the other dog.
Ver small tooth shaped injury. It was Saturday. My pharmacist sold anti sceptic cream and appropriate light covering. He said he thought anti biotic cream would be needed, to uses 111 if it went yellow and to see my GP Monday.
Monday, GP phoned, prescribed antibiotics aimed at skin infections. I saw my GP Friday for an appointment made 4 weeks earlier. She prescribed anti biotic cream for the wound.
I wish the pharmacist had been able to prescribe that saturday. I’m immune suppressed so infection more likelt

Wishing you the best Whitewavemark2. Take a phone charger, book and something to hold around a paper cup in case you have a drink from the Truro A&E coffee machine, which dispenses horrendously hot drinks. I came back from there yesterday.

Meant to say also that pharmacists have been very helpful and sympathetic when dealing with friends of mine recently.
I think they will be glad when the training is in place so they can prescribe, though it will increase their workload.

Toes are so incredibly sensitive, even the smallest blister can feel like a huge volcano, especially in the middle of the night. Hope you are able to get it seen to this morning and enjoy the last day of your holiday.

I was told I had NF in my hip prior to surgery, and did know what it means. I t was terrifying ,

As for cellulitis had that too, twice. If you draw round the redness it is easier to see if it’s increased in size. If it has get some help. Fast.

Hope you get your toe sorted out today WW.

Hope all goes well Whitewavemark2, and that you don’t have to wait too long to been seen in the hospital.

If it was my foot I’d take a photo of it. ( I did that when DH had an infected vein on his leg when we were away from home). I’d probably phone 111. If they think it sounds as if it needs antibiotics I think they can arrange to send a prescription to a nearby chemist. And it will all be on record. (That’s what happened when I found a tick on my leg in deer country: in the end they didn’t prescribe them because the chance of contracting Lyme disease was low and the antibiotic needed had horrible side effects). I don’t have much faith in pharmacists I’m afraid after the problem I had with my eye. And, unless things have changed since I retired I found that some doctors were happy to hand out antibiotics and with some it was like trying to get water out of a stone. With both pharmacists and doctors I’d always ask for a second opinion if I was still worried. I’m wondering what sort of insurance cover pharmacists will have when it comes to prescribing antibiotics because if they’re in fear of litigation they will hand them out more often. I knew someone who lost their partner because of a wrong diagnosis. It took ten years for her to get compensation and even then the doctor didn’t have to pay for it personally, the NHS did. Why do these things always happen when we’re away from home? I remember, even when I was a child, I was always sick on holiday. These days it’s the dog that usually has a medical emergency. When I was 17 I lived in Cornwall and I’ll always remember having to walk miles to see my doctor, being told I had a septic foot and having to walk miles back home again. I’m assuming he gave me antibiotics! My foots still there, anyway. I think I’ve got a fungal nail infection. I did mess around with my nail last night and it was a bit sore so I put some Ster Zac powder on it. It’s been in the medicine cabinet ever since I was given it when I had my first baby. I keep it for sentimental reasons but it seems to have helped! It probably contains something that is a banned substance now ( think I’ll consult Dr Google…). And I usually travel with Chloramphenicol eye cream because it’s antibiotic but pharmacists won’t sell it to you these days.

Given the appropriate training, and with the appropriate safeguards built in, Pharmacists may well be clinically capable of prescribing antibiotics for certain conditions. However, there are other significant implications. Some experts in anti-microbial resistance are worried that such a scheme could promote over-prescription of drugs which should only be used sparingly. We're already aware that even G'P.'s are often reluctant to prescribe anti-biotics because of the danger of breeding drug-resistant superbugs, so surely this move will only increase that risk. I have very mixed feelings about any further dropping of prescription thresholds.

Even if it is an infection which needs antibiotic in the end, don't worry about the more alarmist posts here! NF is extremely rare, as are other life threatening infections of fingers or toes!
It can be difficult even for doctors to decide when to prescribe antibiotics, especially nowadays with all the warnings about overuse.
Hope your toe feels a bit better when you're up.

Thank you. Yes I finally got to sleep, and feel more rational this morning.

As you guessed, I’m not one who investigates or informs herself much about health issues as far as I was concerned I had a sore toe which needed antibiotics - but it turned into a life or death situation😮😮 after I googled all the potential hazards. So I shall get up in a minute and decide how it is looking. Then if it is spreading etc go to get it sorted. It certainly feels less painful. - probably just a sign of gangrene😄😄😄.

It’s not so much the soreness as the look of it WWM if it is spreading redness or a red line from it then go to A and E in the morning
I d be more concerned about cellulitis which I had through a sore itchy toe
I think some of these posts have sent you into an understandable wobble which isn’t useful
I m sure it will be ok and let us know how you get on
Good
Luck

I can’t unless I get dressed and go into a field next to us. Which means stumbling about in the dark. We are about 1/2 mile from the nearest road. I’ll be sensible and get up early - before 7am and then sort it out. If it is A&E I assume that they won’t be so busy first thing and change of staff etc.

Honestly what a fuss over a bliddy blister! We go home on Saturday tbh I would wait, but it is incredibly sore - I have a high pain threshold - and want to act sensibly.

Thanks for your help. I’ll try to get back to sleep now. You have a good night.

best to ring 111. now.
i have no medical knowledge.
i am just going on experience, having seen things close up.
believe in the precautionary principle generally re health and safety.

has the redness spread ?

What now or the morning. A&E is at Truro I think - miles away

if it were me i would go to A&E.
good luck.

Middle of the night and awake with painful b…y toe. I’m going back to the injuries unit first thing.

growstuff

Callistemon21

I wish I hadn't read that either; I have a burn on my arm from an oven tray which has become red and weepy.
DH says leave it open to the air, I think keep it covered.

The NHS recommends putting cling film or a plastic bag on it.

Oh! Interesting.

It seemed fine at first until it dried then peeled.

Callistemon21

I wish I hadn't read that either; I have a burn on my arm from an oven tray which has become red and weepy.
DH says leave it open to the air, I think keep it covered.

The NHS recommends putting cling film or a plastic bag on it.

I wish I hadn't read that either; I have a burn on my arm from an oven tray which has become red and weepy.
DH says leave it open to the air, I think keep it covered.

Why do thse things always happen when you're on holiday?

I dont think we've had a holiday with or without the DC without an emergency trip to a chemist, dentist, Minor Injuries, A&E or some clinic in the back of beyond which didn't look very sterile!
Perhaps I only remember the traumas 😁

welbeck

let's hope you never see NF in real life.
i'd rather not describe it if you don't mind.
but i'd much rather anyone took anbx than risk it or sepsis.
soft tissue infections can gallop away, and some people underestimate the damage they can do.
like with bites, human or animal, if they break the skin, go to hosp/ urgent care. urgently.

I know what NF is.

And it certainly is better to be safe than... very very sorry.

Perhaps the pharmacist meant that she would soon be getting the training which would result in her being able to prescribe the antibiotics, not that she had had the training and would soon be able to prescribe.

If that was her meaning, then she will (presumably) be more accurate. At the moment she is erring on the side of caution - and she may have seen the effects of erring on the other side and risking NF.

I will just say that DD had a friend who was a hospital pharmacist. He told her he spent a lot of his time chasing after doctors to stop them prescribing drug combinations that were totally contraindicated. He also warned her when her GP had prescribed her a drug that was not just wrong but actually dangerous.