Pharmacists can prescribe in England from Wednesday 1st February.

So how do you know whether you have a urinary tract infection? Surely a test is required, in which case you will get your prescription from the doctor who can then send it to the pharmacy.

Also, earache can be a sign of something serious and surely this requires an examination.

First catch your pharmacist. My local pharmacy is 'run' by a pharmacist who owns three other pharmacies, 200 miles away; consequently prescriptions are only obtainable on three and a half days a week.
Apparently it is very hard to employ -or pay for-- extra pharmacists. He is currently under investigation as a pharmacist should be available when the shop is open.

Our local Boots is ‘attached’ to the GP surgery. It is a tiny building considering it serves thousands of patients.

The staff, including the pharmacists always seem very busy and working flat out.

I think it’s a good idea if they can take some of the pressure off the GP’s, but not sure how they are meant to fit it all in either. They now do flu jabs and similar, and always look stressed.

Being cynical a lot of it is for extra money

Chestnut

So how do you know whether you have a urinary tract infection? Surely a test is required, in which case you will get your prescription from the doctor who can then send it to the pharmacy.

Also, earache can be a sign of something serious and surely this requires an examination.

Neither are urgent enough to get an immediate appointment with a doctor, sometimes it can be a three week wait or a phone appointment, the pharmacist will ask the same questions as a doctor would and prescribe instantly if nessersary or refer if needed.

I think it’s a good idea. I’m used to it in another country, and it’s always worked well.

Chestnut given that everyone from Superdrug to Amazon sells UTI tests, I think half those going to a pharmacist would already have a positive result and the other half could be asked - as you often are at the GPs - to bring in a urine sample for testing. It is also fairly common for doctors to diagnose UTIs in symptoms without testing.

I have been saying this for ages! I think it's brilliant.

I don't even need a pharmacist to diagnose a uti when I have one.

How do we find out whether it applies to our surgery?

Earache is so so painful. Our family have really suffered over the years. At christmas time my 40year old daughter had a burst eardrum which required antibiotics then the other eardrum also burst. Our pharmacists are already extremely busy.

We in North West have had pharmacy first for a long time already- they've been able to give out cough & cold medicines or antibiotic eye drops or stuff for sore throats etc or head lice or skin rashes or many other minor ailments - theres only a couple been added.shingles& impetigo which probably used to come under 'skin rashes' anyway.

A friend tells me she thinks this has been operational in NHS Scotland for some time?

What do the Scottish GNetters think of it please? Be interesting to get their take on the subject.

Pharmacists have trained for much longer than GPs and often pick up on prescription errors eg. incompatible medication.
I worked in a pharmacy and was often exasperated when we knew what medication could fix a simple ailment but had to send the person to the GP for a prescription. This is excellent news.

Eazybee there has to be a pharmacist present by law for the shop to open. If so much as a packet of paracetamol is sold when they aren't there the pharmacist can be prosecuted.

As a full time Pharmacist I am now expected to find the time for consultations with members of the public! While I do this patients are having to wait longer to receive their prescribed medication . It is physically impossible to consult and check GP's prescriptions at the same time. It is fortunately rare that dispensers make a mistake when making up a prescription but a second check by a qualified pharmacist is a legal requirement.
Members of the public who are now having to wait longer before their prescription is ready for collection will now have an even longer wait.

The pharmacy here will not give treatment for a UTI unless they do a test themselves which seems sensible to me.
I think it is a good idea that minor illnesses can be treated at the pharmacy.

We’ve got it in Wales already, and it’s working well. The only issue is lack of pharmacist availability in some pharmacies means you may have to wait until they are there, or go to several pharmacies if you want immediate help.

I suppose if your ‘wait time’ is too long Goosebump then members of the public will find an alternative pharmacy. We have four here in Urmston town centre. Boots & three independents. Still going to be quicker imo than trying to secure a GP appointment.

Will pharmacists be paid by the government for providing this extra service?

Urmstongran

A friend tells me she thinks this has been operational in NHS Scotland for some time?

What do the Scottish GNetters think of it please? Be interesting to get their take on the subject.

I know about Pharmacy First in Scotland but only for things that you can buy anyway, eg Calpol* for babies. I didn’t know you could get things that are prescription only. Nor did I know you could buy OTC urine test kits.

*That it’s free annoys me, because we are lucky enough to be able to afford such items. The pharmacy will not take payment and I feel guilty at accepting freebies we don’t need.

We also have adverts here saying things like ‘Learn to help your neighbours to reorder their prescriptions’. Surely it shouldn’t be so hard to reorder prescriptions that you need to enlist someone to help you, though heaven knows we have to go through a song and dance each time we have to do it, with multiple phone calls to the surgery and/or visits to the pharmacy.

Theexwife

Chestnut

So how do you know whether you have a urinary tract infection? Surely a test is required, in which case you will get your prescription from the doctor who can then send it to the pharmacy.

Also, earache can be a sign of something serious and surely this requires an examination.

Neither are urgent enough to get an immediate appointment with a doctor, sometimes it can be a three week wait or a phone appointment, the pharmacist will ask the same questions as a doctor would and prescribe instantly if nessersary or refer if needed.

A UTI is usually sudden onset, so a GP or PN appointment should be available under emergency, most GP surgery have a daily phone in, a pharmacist will not be able to do urine test to confirm. Let's say they give you antibiotics, what do they say, if it doesn't clear up in 7 days, see your GP. Well you may as well see them in the first place., or the most capable PN.
I attended my local pharmacy, have otitis media, so ear very itchy, the pharmacist could see nothing externally, you need to see someone who can look in your ear. Waste of my time. Got in at Dr's next morning.

The 2 pharmacies in our town are completely inundated as it is with an ever increasing population (but no new infrastructure). How they will find the time to do consultations as well is beyond me.

I order repeats through the NHS app SueDonim.

Really? I've been to pick up a prescription today. It was short of 20 tablets. Last week they gave me somebody else's tablets (not for the first time).
Last time I had cystitis they told me I had to see a doctor, as they couldn't give me anything as I am over 60.
A few years ago I had an insect bite which was very red. I asked the pharmacist which was the best cream to buy. She looked at it and said I had blood poisoning from it, and to go to A and E immediately . A 5 hour wait. The doctor said all it needed was calamine lotion and he was very angry (with the pharmacist) that I had wasted their time. I felt about 2 inches tall.
So, trust a pharmacist for good advice? I don't think so.

We get a great service from our local Gordons branch .Scottish chemists have been prescribing for quite a while,one of my GD's has a sore skin condition and they have been prescribing antibiotics for it for ,must be 5 years or more,
I've used them since Covid to avoid the GP queues and always been happy with treatment ,minor issues though, nothing life threatening.
My GP advised using Gordons as its an Irish based firm and has access to many drugs that are hard to come by due to Brexit .He has been proven right on more than one occassion.Especially with HRT when Boots couldn't get supplies and Gordons was never interrupted.

I am in Scotland and my first thought is to consult a pharmacist for something fairly minor, eg an eye infection. Pharmacists can prescribe for urinary infections if you are under 60. I think it is a great idea.

The local independent pharmacy we use is a valuable asset in our town. Easy to be seen, private consulting rooms, professional people . Wonderful ! Boots don't come close.

Urmstongran

The local independent pharmacy we use is a valuable asset in our town. Easy to be seen, private consulting rooms, professional people . Wonderful ! Boots don't come close.

I stopped using Boots when they started buying all the independent pharmacies years ago.
We have a fantastic independent pharmacy, staff is well trained, the stock is really comprehensive and they have long opening hours.
I hope they will be one of the designated pharmacies and not the large Boots in the City centre.