See your Pharmacist - no questions asked.

Charlatan. Ask for your money back.

Report him.

A pharmacist like every other professional can be from fantastic to awful and everything in between I ve seen two pharmacists over problem I thought could be helped without a doctors visit, both times they were excellent took me into their consulting room pulled up my heath record on the computer and went through everything from a to z I was given anti biotics with a lot of information as to how I should progress and strict instructions to go to my gp if I felt no better within 3/4 days I had at least 15 mins consultation

He didn't even ask my name etc so had no idea if I had any prior medical problems. There was a Consultation Room but he just spoke to me at the counter.

I had a lump on my eye a while back. Practice nurse told me to see a pharmacist. Pharmacist, who hardly looked at it told me to see my doctor…total waste of time ( it did just disappear after a couple of days).

Went into the Boots pharmacy attached to the GP surgery to collect monthly prescriptions. The assistant asked if I knew I was eligible for free BP check? I said no, expecting her to book me in, but she said we can do it now. So had it checked, not by pharmacist, but one of the dispensers.

Must have taken about 15 minutes all told as it all had to be added to my records, my BP was fine.

I was quite impressed, but wonder how they are expected to fit all these ‘extras’ in as they are always busy. The lady said they were supposed to do a certain number a day.

When were pharmacists given access to our health records? I don’t remember giving my consent to this.

I've found that when you ask to see the pharmacist it can be a dispenser who you actually see who does not have quite so rigorous and in-depth training. A few years ago I asked a member of the counter staff to see the pharmacist. The person who attended me was very young and when I explained the problem she led me over to the open shelves, saying you need one of these without making any recommendation of the several remedies available or really engaging with what I was saying. I had already managed to look at the shelf where the treatments were kept without her help! She clearly was not a qualified pharmacist but it felt rude of me to have asked.

This was a few years ago before the recent changes to the services pharmacists are able to offer and hopefully now, when you ask to see the pharmacist it is actually the pharmacist you do actually talk to.

Doodledog

When were pharmacists given access to our health records? I don’t remember giving my consent to this.

If you use a pharmacy on a regular basis, the pharmacist will have a fair idea of your conditions.

Recently, I asked my pharmacist if he could give me anti nausea medication, caused by long term meds.
His reply was that due to my multi comorbidities, he could not give ne anything and I needed to speak to my GP.
He is very thorough.

Calendargirl

Went into the Boots pharmacy attached to the GP surgery to collect monthly prescriptions. The assistant asked if I knew I was eligible for free BP check? I said no, expecting her to book me in, but she said we can do it now. So had it checked, not by pharmacist, but one of the dispensers.

Must have taken about 15 minutes all told as it all had to be added to my records, my BP was fine.

I was quite impressed, but wonder how they are expected to fit all these ‘extras’ in as they are always busy. The lady said they were supposed to do a certain number a day.

Boots and other pharmacies get paid by the NHS for offering BP readings and other services and Boots staff in particular are under pressure by their management to optimise income in this way. There was a lot in the papers about it a few years ago with particular reference to medication reviews. A pharmacy I went to for my prescriptions (not Boots) always tried to persuade me to have one of these but I explained that I had medication reviews with the practice pharmacist. I was told that I "had to have this one as well". I replied curtly I didn't have to do anything and changed pharmacies.

Doodledog

When were pharmacists given access to our health records? I don’t remember giving my consent to this.

It wasn’t my health records, the GP ones, but the same as they fill in online if you have your flu jab with them.

She asked if I consented to share my results with my surgery, I said no as I felt they would be pushing me to have statins if the results weren’t good, so the GP wasn’t informed.

As I said previously, my results were ok though.

I visited by local pharmacy with a red eye, the assistant suggested I see the pharmacist before she would give me any medication. I was taken to a little consulting room, asked my medical history in relation to my eye. Eye examined to see if there was any thing obvious in my eye. Was then advised to see my GP for a BP check. I was very impressed and will use the service again if needed.

I was waiting for a thread like this to come up.

I have had mixed results. That is all I can really say. Good and bad.
I may learn one day, what types of things they are useful for, and which to avoid.

A pharmacist is not a doctor so do not expect the same service.

You are lucky to see one so quickly; ours circulates between his four shops, 150 miles apart, and you have to check when he will be present to be allowed to collect your prescription.
The local MP has investigated; what he is doing is illegal and he should provide cover, he claims there are none available and threatens to close the pharmacy if action is taken. Nearest ones 4 miles away, unreachable by bus. Ordering by post you have to remain in all day to receive prescriptions personally.

Boots and other pharmacies get paid by the NHS for offering BP readings and other services and Boots staff in particular are under pressure by their management to optimise income in this way.

It is so very annoying, that like lots of things nowaways, we start off assuming people are acting in our best interests, when they are not necessarily.

I went to an independent pharmacy not a national and I ll certainly use the service again it was a very thorough consultation
I have also used the email facility with my local GP sending a photo at 8 am a few weeks ago by 11 am I was collecting the medication with strict instructions to follow up with the GP if I hadn’t improved in three days…… I had thankfully but you can’t fault that
We hear so much negativity I m impressed with the service and think it’s a big addition

Calendargirl

Went into the Boots pharmacy attached to the GP surgery to collect monthly prescriptions. The assistant asked if I knew I was eligible for free BP check? I said no, expecting her to book me in, but she said we can do it now. So had it checked, not by pharmacist, but one of the dispensers.

Must have taken about 15 minutes all told as it all had to be added to my records, my BP was fine.

I was quite impressed, but wonder how they are expected to fit all these ‘extras’ in as they are always busy. The lady said they were supposed to do a certain number a day.

Calendargirl that’s because they get paid for it! Whether you go to your GP or any pharmacy they get paid. A couple of years ago I was asked if I wanted a health check in a pharmacy. I said OK and got it done. They pass the results to your GP. When I next saw a GP she was very “off” with me and said they could have done that at the surgery and I had done them out of a payment!

fancythat

^Boots and other pharmacies get paid by the NHS for offering BP readings and other services and Boots staff in particular are under pressure by their management to optimise income in this way. ^

It is so very annoying, that like lots of things nowaways, we start off assuming people are acting in our best interests, when they are not necessarily.

I don’t think some people realise that GP practices get paid extra for a lot of things. A few off the top of my head, health checks (which we are discussing), statins, diabetes care, special needs annual health checks, blood tests and they also get paid for issuing prescriptions which is why they don’t like people using online prescription services or other pharmacies.

Our GP pharmacy is excellent, recently used the pharmacist via phone calls over a 7 week period to reduce pain killers following a serious accident. She rang me, made sure I had access to what I needed in terms of different weekly doses and it was definitely easier than dealing with my GP. Her advice and care was brilliant and she also asked me about my weight which is borderline for the dose of a blood thinner that I'm on and said if you drop below a certain weight we'll need to reduce your dose. I didn't know that, only that I bleed very profusely! Also used local pharmacies and generally been perfectly happy with the help and advice. I think there's good and bad, just like with all services.

I can’t say “no questions asked” has been my experience.

Our pharmacy is very thorough and asks all relevant questions in fact some might say too many!

I’m more than happy with the service they provide as they look after my husband and his medications in a professional and careful manner.

Primrose was it a prescribing pharmacy or just an ordinary pharmacy?

I was sent to a prescribing pharmacy via 111 as my GP surgery was fully booked. I had a long take to the pharmacist in a private room and she asked about all my medication and confirmed what I already knew I had shingles she could have prescribed me the anti virals but I have a rare neurological condition so she phoned my GP who phoned me once I was home and sent the prescription to the pharmacy I use and my daughter fetched the tablets and thankfully because I got them so quickly less than 24 hours when I saw the rash they halted the spread . I already take tablets for nerve pain and other painkillers so I was lucky the pain only got a bit worse I was very tired and the rash blisters didn't get very big and didn't burst.

The prescribing pharmacist told me if it wasn't for my neurological condition she could have given me the tablets . But she hadn't heard of it and because she knew nothing about the prescription had to come from my GP.

There should be a list of prescribing pharmacy's in your area the NHS website may be the place to look. Go to one of those in future.

Some do go above and beyond.
DH was on several complex medications for many years issued by the Royal Free in London after a transplant, strokes, open heart surgery and lymphoma.
His prescriptions went automatically to Boots who rang me one day and said they were querying one Med prescribed by the GP because in their pharmacist’s opinion it was contra indicated by what he was on already.
They were right too.

I had very flaky, dry eyelids, probably eczema. Went to see the pharmacist at our local small Boots chemist. It didn't look like eczema to him so he advised me to see my GP. Made an appointment and saw GP, the diagnosis, eczema. Prescription for very mild steroid cream.
Don't think I'll bother the pharmacist again.

Why didn’t you say at the time that you were concerned that he didn’t ask you enough questions. I would think that as you said you have seen a doctor and had a chest X-ray he would assume it was nothing serious.

My advice would be to see a different pharmacist or go back to a doctor if you feel the need.