If you’re between 40 and 74 and live in the UK, you should have a health check which we can do at our pharmacy for a nominal charge.
The health check should take around 30 minutes. A healthcare professional, will ask you a series of simple questions about your lifestyle and family history. The check is nothing to worry about and you won’t be asked any embarrassing questions or need to remove clothing.
You can also expect:
The Health Check focuses on:
If you are over 65, you will also be told the signs of dementia to look out for.
After your blood pressure test, sugar level test and BMI results, the Pharmacist will be happy to offer lifestyle advice or suggest you visit your GP, if needed. They might offer ideas on how to:
A pharmacist is another health expert you can turn to for asthma advice and support and you usually don't need an appointment. As well as your GP or asthma nurse, your local pharmacist is another highly trained healthcare professional who can answer questions about your asthma. If you have any concerns about your asthma, you can just walk into our pharmacy and ask to see the pharmacist.
This is useful because:
Ask the pharmacist how to get the best from your asthma medicines. You can ask your pharmacist about the asthma medicines you've been prescribed. This is useful if you have concerns about things like side effects, using your inhaler, or your inhaler not working properly.
You can also ask about any over-the-counter medicines you're taking to help your asthma, such as anti-histamines for hay fever.
Check your blood pressure
The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test.
All adults over 40 are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every 5 years. Getting this done is easy and could save your life.
You can get your blood pressure tested at a number of places, including at our pharmacies. If you've not been diagnosed with high blood pressure and would like to get yours checked, contact or visit one of our branches.
If we find any potential signs of high blood pressure, we will refer you to your GP for further investigation and treatment if appropriate.
Blood glucose tests, which can be conducted in our pharmacy through a simple blood test, measure the amount of glucose in your blood. Glucose is a simple sugar that provides energy for the body. The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach). When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it's broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there's either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced doesn't work properly.
Although there are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is often linked to being overweight.
The C-card scheme gives young people quick and easy access to condoms. It also offers a safe environment where it is easy to seek advice and information about sexual health topics and relationships. C-card is a free and confidential service for people under a certain age (please check with the pharmacy). You don't even need to be sexually active. If you are thinking about having sex you can register and be ready. * Only available if commissioned in accordance with a local agreement.
treatment for chlamydia without needing to see your GP
We recommend that all adults should get a cholesterol check – no matter what your age or how healthy you feel.
Your cholesterol levels depend on your genes as well as your lifestyle, so the only way to know your cholesterol numbers is to get a check.
You can have your cholesterol tested in our pharmacy using a simple blood test. This is often a finger prick test, it’s quick, you only feel a small pinch, and the results can be checked there and then. Or, you might have a small blood sample taken from your arm using a needle and syringe, you will get the result immediately.
No appointments needed, easily accessible location and just a quick consultation, we ensure a hassle free service to all our patients. Simply walk in and ask to speak to our friendly and professional pharmacist about the morning after pill.
Our pharmacist will need to see the person that the emergency contraception is intended for, and will need to ask a few questions regarding the patients’ medical history. This is done in the privacy of our consultation room and everything discussed is in complete confidence. The sooner you come to our pharmacy to take the morning after pill, the greater the chances of avoiding pregnancy.
If the Pharmacist feels like Levonelle One Step is not suitable for you, they will not give you the morning after pill, but advise you to see your health care professional.
We are one of the few pharmacies that are able to provide the morning after pill free of charge to patients who are aged 24 and under, and who meet the NHS criteria. Alternatively, the pill can be purchased privately from our pharmacy.
About Emergency Contraception (Levonelle One Step) -
When it comes to sex, even if you’ve taken precautions, sometimes things don’t quite go to plan. Accidents happen with contraception and things go wrong all the time. You may even just be worried that your contraceptive pill hasn’t worked. If you’ve had unprotected sex or you’re worried about contraception failure, here is some of the information you need to know about Levonelle One Step -
- Levonelle One Step is an emergency contraceptive that can be used within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex or if your contraceptive method has failed.
- There is one white tablet in the pack and it is most effective when taken within the first 12 hours
- The tablet contains a hormone called Levonorgestrel.
- Levonelle One Step is thought to work by stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg or by preventing sperm from fertilising any egg that may have already been released
- If you are over 16 you can get Levonelle One Step over the counter at our Pharmacy
- If you are under 16 you cannot buy Levonelle One Step at the Pharmacy, you need to visit your GP or a Walk-In centre
- Levonelle One Step works to prevent a pregnancy becoming established, it does not work if you are already pregnant
- You should only use Levonelle One Step in emergencies, not as a regular form of contraception
Please note, there are other emergency contraceptive options available through your doctor or at a Walk-In centre.
If you do have any questions or require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Erection problems (impotence) are very common, particularly in men over 40. It's usually nothing to worry about, but you should see a GP if it keeps happening.
Most men occasionally fail to get or keep an erection. Causes of erection problems can be stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol, and it's nothing to worry about.
If it happens more often, it may be caused by physical or emotional problems.
Medicine such as sildenafil is often used by doctors to treat erectile dysfunction. It is also available from our pharmacy. You no longer need a prescription to get sildenafil. You can have a private consultation with our pharmacist to make sure it's safe for you to take it.
Make life easier for yourself and let us order your prescription on your behalf. Simply let us know what repeat medicines you need, a few days before they run out and we will arrange to collect it from your Doctor's surgery.
Healthy Start Vitamins help you to prevent vitamin deficiencies and maintain normal growth and health in you are your child. Our pharmacy provides FREE Healthy Start Vitamins on production of a voucher. Please ask the pharmacist for more information
If you are serious about losing weight our Pharmacies can help you succeed with Lipotrim. Lipotrim, once only available from Doctors, is a total meal replacement programme that can see you lose up to 1.5 stone a month. The programme requires the completion of a medical questionnaire and a chat with one of our trained advisors. They will take your weight and height, calculate your BMI and suggest the right Lipotrim plan for you. Please take a look at www.lipotrim.co.uk for more information and then call or pop in to one of our Pharmacies for more information or to start your weight reduction programme.
Every year many hundreds of travellers from the UK catch malaria and in tens of cases it is fatal. Symptoms can start rapidly. The correct anti-malarial medication is essential. We offer a Private Malaria Prevention Service. After a confidential assessment by a trained Pharmacist, the correct anti-malarial medication is supplied and appropriate advice given to the patient.
The Medication Care and Review (MCR) service, formerly known as CMS, is a serial prescription service. Register with Lightburn Pharmacy to have your regular repeat medication dispensed and ready for you to collect.
A serial prescription is a prescription for medicines you need to treat your long-term condition (your repeat medication).
It looks like a normal prescription but lasts for 24 or 48 weeks.
With a serial prescription, you can get your repeat medicines directly from the pharmacy where you are registered.
You won’t need to see or phone the Doctor to request your medication.
Serial prescriptions last for either 24 or 48 weeks and Lightburn Pharmacy will dispense it in instalments (either every month or every 2 months depending on your GP’s instructions).
The Pharmacy will have your prescription ready for you when you need it, so you don’t have to wait in the pharmacy.
The Pharmacy will keep your serial prescription in the Pharmacy.
Ask at the Pharmacy to be registered and speak to your GP to issue you with a serial prescription rather than a standard repeat prescription, your GP will assess your suitability.
Don’t be running around the houses to get your prescription, no more phoning your GP every month to get your prescriptions, no more waiting to get your regular prescription dispensed. Lightburn Pharmacy will comprehensively manage your serial prescriptions, please contact us to get registered today.
Your Prescription ready when you are.
This is an opportunity for our pharmacist to discuss and review the medicines you are taking to ensure you are using them correctly and getting the maximum benefit. We will explain clearly and simply, without any medical jargon, what they are for and the conditions they treat and identify any possible side effects that you may be experiencing. We will listen to you and any problems you are having with your medicines, provide advice and support and if necessary contact your Doctor to discuss any issues that arise from our conversation.
An MUR can help:
Our pharmacist may be able to conduct an MUR over the telephone or for eligible patient
It is important that you take the right dose of your prescribed medicines at the right time each day to get the most from your medicines to control your condition(s) as much as possible. This can sometimes be difficult if you take more than one medicine. One way in which this can be made easier is for your medicines to be supplied in a Monitored Dosage System, which provides you with a separate compartment for each dosage time of the day.
A monitored dosage system (MDS) is a medication storage device designed to simplify the administration of solid oral dose medication, especially for those on multiple medications. It aims to address the issues of difficulty accessing medication due to sight impairment or other disability and/or forgetfulness.
MDS devices are usually a variation on the design of a box or a blister pack, divided into days of the week with several compartments per day to allow for the different timing of doses such as breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime.
Our Pharmacist can help identify which patients this type of system would be suitable for.
MDS may be suitable for patients in the following circumstances:
Ask a member of our pharmacy team about whether this service would benefit you or whether there is another course of action, which may be of more help.
You can have a free NHS flu Jab at our pharmacy:
• If you are 50 years of age or over before 31 March 2022
• If you are pregnant
• If you are a carer
If you have certain medical conditions including:
• Asthma
• Chronic Respiratory Disease
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
• Liver Disease
• Neurological Disease
When you are prescribed a new medicine by your doctor our pharmacists can offer support and advice to ensure you take the new medication as prescribed without suffering any unwanted side effects or explain any further questions you may have. We usually do this by keeping in contact with you during the first 4 weeks of your new medicine being prescribed.
The service is only available for people living in England, and only for those who have been prescribed a new medicine for the conditions listed:
The NMS can help:
We care about your long term health and if you are a smoker who wants to quit, but think you need help to kick the habit, our award winning Stop Smoking Service might be just what you are looking for. We have had many successes over the years and wish to help you kick the habit.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable deaths accounting for more than 80,000 deaths each year. One in two smokers will die from a smoking related disease. If you could see the damage you would stop.
Circulation
When you smoke, the poisons from the tar in your cigarettes enter your blood. These poisons in your blood then:
Together these changes to your body when you smoke increase the chance of your arteries narrowing and clots forming which could lead to heart attack and stroke.
Stomach
Smokers have an increased chance of getting stomach cancer or ulcers. Smoking is a significant risk factor for developing kidney cancer and the more you smoke the greater the risk.
Skin
Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to your skin. This means your skin ages more quickly and looks grey and dull. The toxins in your body also cause cellulite. Smoking prematurely ages your skin by between 10 and 20 years increasing wrinkling particularly around the eyes and mouth. The only way to prevent further deterioration is to stop smoking.
Bones
Smoking can cause your bones to become weak and brittle predisposing to brittle bones (osteoporosis).
Brain
Smokers are more likely to have a stroke than someone who doesn’t smoke. Within two years of stopping smoking your risk of stoke is reduced to half that of a smoker and within five years it will be the same as a non-smoker.
Lungs
Your lungs can be very badly affected by smoking. Coughs, colds, wheezing and asthma are just the start. Smoking can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia emphysema, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. You can slow down the progression of some of the diseases by stopping smoking.
Mouth and throat
Smoking causes unattractive problems such as bad breath and stained teeth and can cause gum disease and damage your taste.
Reproduction
Smoking can cause male impotence as it damages blood vessels that supply blood to the penis. It can also damage sperm and cause testicular cancer. For women smoking reduces fertility. One study estimated the fertility of smoking women was 72% of that of a non smoker. Smoking also increases the risk of cervical cancer. Smoking while pregnant can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and illness and increases cot death by 25%.
The good news is you can stop smoking and we are here to help.
We keep records of all your prescriptions dispensed by us as well as records of other services we provide to you. This helps us check for possible problems, such as reactions between medicines and will help us deal with any queries you may have. Our computer allows us to keep these records. We are registered with The Information Commissioners Office and comply with the Data Protection Act and the NHS code of practice on confidentiality. If you want to discuss the records we keep, please ask to speak to a member of staff or the pharmacist.
We recommend you consider getting a flub jab If you don't qualify for an NHS vaccination but are:
This service is available on a walk in basis without an appointment and there is a charge but please call the pharmacy first.
We are happy to order your regular repeat prescriptions directly from your Surgery and dispense them for you, ready for collection or delivery. We offer this service for many local Surgeries, for more information or to sign up for this service please pop in to one of our Pharmacies.
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats we have ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year around the world. According to the NHS, in the UK alone, smoking kills over 80,000 people every year and a further 500,000 people are admitted into hospital as a direct result of smoking.
Smoking has been linked to countless conditions from depression, infertility and asthma, to the more serious conditions such as lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease. It’s really not surprising that this is the case when you consider how many harmful substances there are in a cigarette. They have thousands of different chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic (cancer causing), and examples of others being acetone (used as nail polish remover), lead and cadmium (a highly toxic metal.)
The truth of the matter is, we all know how bad smoking is for our health, and a majority of smokers will say that they want to quit but giving up can be hard. Especially without the right help and support. That’s where our friendly and professional staff come in!
There is now more support than ever before, not just in the form of information, but also products designed to reduce cravings and to fight off any of the horrible withdrawal symptoms. One of the developments has been the introduction of Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT.) There are a variety of NRT products available:
Smoking is addictive because of the nicotine in cigarettes. That is why it is hard to quit. By starting one or even a combination of the above therapies, they will give a smoker a dose of nicotine in their blood. This reduces the nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings, whilst they break away from the psychological habit of smoking.
Our staff can advise you on the best way to kick your smoking habit. By coming in to our store our trained pharmacist will provide you with a free consultation, asking you questions such as how many cigarettes you smoke in a day and what triggers the need for a cigarette etc. By determining your ‘level of nicotine addiction’ the pharmacist will then be able to offer their advice on what they think would work best for you.
The pharmacist may even offer advice in other forms, for example, letting you know about any local support groups, advising you to take up a hobby or even suggesting a routine to start you off.
The benefit of having this support is that we are there 7 days a week whenever you need help, or even just a friendly professional to speak with. It is a proven fact that if you receive support while trying to stop smoking your chance for success is greatly increased.
A urinary tract Infection (UTI) can occur in any part of your urinary system. Women are at greatest risk with symptoms including a burning feeling when you urinate, a frequent urge to urinate, even though little comes out when you do and pain in your back or lower abdomen. In addition your urine in often cloudy, dark, smelly and may have blood in it.
Our Pharmacy is registered to treat some Urinary Tract Infections without having to visit your GP. If you are a woman between 16 - 65 years old, have not had antibiotic treatment for a urinary tract infection in the last 28 days and have not had more than three previous urinary infections in the last year please speak to our Pharmacist. The Pharmacist will discuss your symptoms and whether you are eligible for treatment directly from the Pharmacy.
If you’re between 40 and 74 and live in the UK, you should have a health check which we can do at our pharmacy for a nominal charge.
The health check should take around 30 minutes. A healthcare professional, will ask you a series of simple questions about your lifestyle and family history. The check is nothing to worry about and you won’t be asked any embarrassing questions or need to remove clothing.
You can also expect:
The Health Check focuses on:
If you are over 65, you will also be told the signs of dementia to look out for.
After your blood pressure test, sugar level test and BMI results, the Pharmacist will be happy to offer lifestyle advice or suggest you visit your GP, if needed. They might offer ideas on how to:
A pharmacist is another health expert you can turn to for asthma advice and support and you usually don't need an appointment. As well as your GP or asthma nurse, your local pharmacist is another highly trained healthcare professional who can answer questions about your asthma. If you have any concerns about your asthma, you can just walk into our pharmacy and ask to see the pharmacist.
This is useful because:
Ask the pharmacist how to get the best from your asthma medicines. You can ask your pharmacist about the asthma medicines you've been prescribed. This is useful if you have concerns about things like side effects, using your inhaler, or your inhaler not working properly.
You can also ask about any over-the-counter medicines you're taking to help your asthma, such as anti-histamines for hay fever.
Check your blood pressure
The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test.
All adults over 40 are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every 5 years. Getting this done is easy and could save your life.
You can get your blood pressure tested at a number of places, including at our pharmacies. If you've not been diagnosed with high blood pressure and would like to get yours checked, contact or visit one of our branches.
If we find any potential signs of high blood pressure, we will refer you to your GP for further investigation and treatment if appropriate.
Blood glucose tests, which can be conducted in our pharmacy through a simple blood test, measure the amount of glucose in your blood. Glucose is a simple sugar that provides energy for the body. The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach). When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it's broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there's either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced doesn't work properly.
Although there are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is often linked to being overweight.
The C-card scheme gives young people quick and easy access to condoms. It also offers a safe environment where it is easy to seek advice and information about sexual health topics and relationships. C-card is a free and confidential service for people under a certain age (please check with the pharmacy). You don't even need to be sexually active. If you are thinking about having sex you can register and be ready. * Only available if commissioned in accordance with a local agreement.
treatment for chlamydia without needing to see your GP
We recommend that all adults should get a cholesterol check – no matter what your age or how healthy you feel.
Your cholesterol levels depend on your genes as well as your lifestyle, so the only way to know your cholesterol numbers is to get a check.
You can have your cholesterol tested in our pharmacy using a simple blood test. This is often a finger prick test, it’s quick, you only feel a small pinch, and the results can be checked there and then. Or, you might have a small blood sample taken from your arm using a needle and syringe, you will get the result immediately.
No appointments needed, easily accessible location and just a quick consultation, we ensure a hassle free service to all our patients. Simply walk in and ask to speak to our friendly and professional pharmacist about the morning after pill.
Our pharmacist will need to see the person that the emergency contraception is intended for, and will need to ask a few questions regarding the patients’ medical history. This is done in the privacy of our consultation room and everything discussed is in complete confidence. The sooner you come to our pharmacy to take the morning after pill, the greater the chances of avoiding pregnancy.
If the Pharmacist feels like Levonelle One Step is not suitable for you, they will not give you the morning after pill, but advise you to see your health care professional.
We are one of the few pharmacies that are able to provide the morning after pill free of charge to patients who are aged 24 and under, and who meet the NHS criteria. Alternatively, the pill can be purchased privately from our pharmacy.
About Emergency Contraception (Levonelle One Step) -
When it comes to sex, even if you’ve taken precautions, sometimes things don’t quite go to plan. Accidents happen with contraception and things go wrong all the time. You may even just be worried that your contraceptive pill hasn’t worked. If you’ve had unprotected sex or you’re worried about contraception failure, here is some of the information you need to know about Levonelle One Step -
- Levonelle One Step is an emergency contraceptive that can be used within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex or if your contraceptive method has failed.
- There is one white tablet in the pack and it is most effective when taken within the first 12 hours
- The tablet contains a hormone called Levonorgestrel.
- Levonelle One Step is thought to work by stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg or by preventing sperm from fertilising any egg that may have already been released
- If you are over 16 you can get Levonelle One Step over the counter at our Pharmacy
- If you are under 16 you cannot buy Levonelle One Step at the Pharmacy, you need to visit your GP or a Walk-In centre
- Levonelle One Step works to prevent a pregnancy becoming established, it does not work if you are already pregnant
- You should only use Levonelle One Step in emergencies, not as a regular form of contraception
Please note, there are other emergency contraceptive options available through your doctor or at a Walk-In centre.
If you do have any questions or require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Erection problems (impotence) are very common, particularly in men over 40. It's usually nothing to worry about, but you should see a GP if it keeps happening.
Most men occasionally fail to get or keep an erection. Causes of erection problems can be stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol, and it's nothing to worry about.
If it happens more often, it may be caused by physical or emotional problems.
Medicine such as sildenafil is often used by doctors to treat erectile dysfunction. It is also available from our pharmacy. You no longer need a prescription to get sildenafil. You can have a private consultation with our pharmacist to make sure it's safe for you to take it.
Make life easier for yourself and let us order your prescription on your behalf. Simply let us know what repeat medicines you need, a few days before they run out and we will arrange to collect it from your Doctor's surgery.
Healthy Start Vitamins help you to prevent vitamin deficiencies and maintain normal growth and health in you are your child. Our pharmacy provides FREE Healthy Start Vitamins on production of a voucher. Please ask the pharmacist for more information
If you are serious about losing weight our Pharmacies can help you succeed with Lipotrim. Lipotrim, once only available from Doctors, is a total meal replacement programme that can see you lose up to 1.5 stone a month. The programme requires the completion of a medical questionnaire and a chat with one of our trained advisors. They will take your weight and height, calculate your BMI and suggest the right Lipotrim plan for you. Please take a look at www.lipotrim.co.uk for more information and then call or pop in to one of our Pharmacies for more information or to start your weight reduction programme.
Every year many hundreds of travellers from the UK catch malaria and in tens of cases it is fatal. Symptoms can start rapidly. The correct anti-malarial medication is essential. We offer a Private Malaria Prevention Service. After a confidential assessment by a trained Pharmacist, the correct anti-malarial medication is supplied and appropriate advice given to the patient.
The Medication Care and Review (MCR) service, formerly known as CMS, is a serial prescription service. Register with Lightburn Pharmacy to have your regular repeat medication dispensed and ready for you to collect.
A serial prescription is a prescription for medicines you need to treat your long-term condition (your repeat medication).
It looks like a normal prescription but lasts for 24 or 48 weeks.
With a serial prescription, you can get your repeat medicines directly from the pharmacy where you are registered.
You won’t need to see or phone the Doctor to request your medication.
Serial prescriptions last for either 24 or 48 weeks and Lightburn Pharmacy will dispense it in instalments (either every month or every 2 months depending on your GP’s instructions).
The Pharmacy will have your prescription ready for you when you need it, so you don’t have to wait in the pharmacy.
The Pharmacy will keep your serial prescription in the Pharmacy.
Ask at the Pharmacy to be registered and speak to your GP to issue you with a serial prescription rather than a standard repeat prescription, your GP will assess your suitability.
Don’t be running around the houses to get your prescription, no more phoning your GP every month to get your prescriptions, no more waiting to get your regular prescription dispensed. Lightburn Pharmacy will comprehensively manage your serial prescriptions, please contact us to get registered today.
Your Prescription ready when you are.
This is an opportunity for our pharmacist to discuss and review the medicines you are taking to ensure you are using them correctly and getting the maximum benefit. We will explain clearly and simply, without any medical jargon, what they are for and the conditions they treat and identify any possible side effects that you may be experiencing. We will listen to you and any problems you are having with your medicines, provide advice and support and if necessary contact your Doctor to discuss any issues that arise from our conversation.
An MUR can help:
Our pharmacist may be able to conduct an MUR over the telephone or for eligible patient
It is important that you take the right dose of your prescribed medicines at the right time each day to get the most from your medicines to control your condition(s) as much as possible. This can sometimes be difficult if you take more than one medicine. One way in which this can be made easier is for your medicines to be supplied in a Monitored Dosage System, which provides you with a separate compartment for each dosage time of the day.
A monitored dosage system (MDS) is a medication storage device designed to simplify the administration of solid oral dose medication, especially for those on multiple medications. It aims to address the issues of difficulty accessing medication due to sight impairment or other disability and/or forgetfulness.
MDS devices are usually a variation on the design of a box or a blister pack, divided into days of the week with several compartments per day to allow for the different timing of doses such as breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime.
Our Pharmacist can help identify which patients this type of system would be suitable for.
MDS may be suitable for patients in the following circumstances:
Ask a member of our pharmacy team about whether this service would benefit you or whether there is another course of action, which may be of more help.
You can have a free NHS flu Jab at our pharmacy:
• If you are 50 years of age or over before 31 March 2022
• If you are pregnant
• If you are a carer
If you have certain medical conditions including:
• Asthma
• Chronic Respiratory Disease
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
• Liver Disease
• Neurological Disease
When you are prescribed a new medicine by your doctor our pharmacists can offer support and advice to ensure you take the new medication as prescribed without suffering any unwanted side effects or explain any further questions you may have. We usually do this by keeping in contact with you during the first 4 weeks of your new medicine being prescribed.
The service is only available for people living in England, and only for those who have been prescribed a new medicine for the conditions listed:
The NMS can help:
We care about your long term health and if you are a smoker who wants to quit, but think you need help to kick the habit, our award winning Stop Smoking Service might be just what you are looking for. We have had many successes over the years and wish to help you kick the habit.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable deaths accounting for more than 80,000 deaths each year. One in two smokers will die from a smoking related disease. If you could see the damage you would stop.
Circulation
When you smoke, the poisons from the tar in your cigarettes enter your blood. These poisons in your blood then:
Together these changes to your body when you smoke increase the chance of your arteries narrowing and clots forming which could lead to heart attack and stroke.
Stomach
Smokers have an increased chance of getting stomach cancer or ulcers. Smoking is a significant risk factor for developing kidney cancer and the more you smoke the greater the risk.
Skin
Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to your skin. This means your skin ages more quickly and looks grey and dull. The toxins in your body also cause cellulite. Smoking prematurely ages your skin by between 10 and 20 years increasing wrinkling particularly around the eyes and mouth. The only way to prevent further deterioration is to stop smoking.
Bones
Smoking can cause your bones to become weak and brittle predisposing to brittle bones (osteoporosis).
Brain
Smokers are more likely to have a stroke than someone who doesn’t smoke. Within two years of stopping smoking your risk of stoke is reduced to half that of a smoker and within five years it will be the same as a non-smoker.
Lungs
Your lungs can be very badly affected by smoking. Coughs, colds, wheezing and asthma are just the start. Smoking can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia emphysema, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. You can slow down the progression of some of the diseases by stopping smoking.
Mouth and throat
Smoking causes unattractive problems such as bad breath and stained teeth and can cause gum disease and damage your taste.
Reproduction
Smoking can cause male impotence as it damages blood vessels that supply blood to the penis. It can also damage sperm and cause testicular cancer. For women smoking reduces fertility. One study estimated the fertility of smoking women was 72% of that of a non smoker. Smoking also increases the risk of cervical cancer. Smoking while pregnant can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and illness and increases cot death by 25%.
The good news is you can stop smoking and we are here to help.
We keep records of all your prescriptions dispensed by us as well as records of other services we provide to you. This helps us check for possible problems, such as reactions between medicines and will help us deal with any queries you may have. Our computer allows us to keep these records. We are registered with The Information Commissioners Office and comply with the Data Protection Act and the NHS code of practice on confidentiality. If you want to discuss the records we keep, please ask to speak to a member of staff or the pharmacist.
We recommend you consider getting a flub jab If you don't qualify for an NHS vaccination but are:
This service is available on a walk in basis without an appointment and there is a charge but please call the pharmacy first.
We are happy to order your regular repeat prescriptions directly from your Surgery and dispense them for you, ready for collection or delivery. We offer this service for many local Surgeries, for more information or to sign up for this service please pop in to one of our Pharmacies.
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats we have ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year around the world. According to the NHS, in the UK alone, smoking kills over 80,000 people every year and a further 500,000 people are admitted into hospital as a direct result of smoking.
Smoking has been linked to countless conditions from depression, infertility and asthma, to the more serious conditions such as lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease. It’s really not surprising that this is the case when you consider how many harmful substances there are in a cigarette. They have thousands of different chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic (cancer causing), and examples of others being acetone (used as nail polish remover), lead and cadmium (a highly toxic metal.)
The truth of the matter is, we all know how bad smoking is for our health, and a majority of smokers will say that they want to quit but giving up can be hard. Especially without the right help and support. That’s where our friendly and professional staff come in!
There is now more support than ever before, not just in the form of information, but also products designed to reduce cravings and to fight off any of the horrible withdrawal symptoms. One of the developments has been the introduction of Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT.) There are a variety of NRT products available:
Smoking is addictive because of the nicotine in cigarettes. That is why it is hard to quit. By starting one or even a combination of the above therapies, they will give a smoker a dose of nicotine in their blood. This reduces the nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings, whilst they break away from the psychological habit of smoking.
Our staff can advise you on the best way to kick your smoking habit. By coming in to our store our trained pharmacist will provide you with a free consultation, asking you questions such as how many cigarettes you smoke in a day and what triggers the need for a cigarette etc. By determining your ‘level of nicotine addiction’ the pharmacist will then be able to offer their advice on what they think would work best for you.
The pharmacist may even offer advice in other forms, for example, letting you know about any local support groups, advising you to take up a hobby or even suggesting a routine to start you off.
The benefit of having this support is that we are there 7 days a week whenever you need help, or even just a friendly professional to speak with. It is a proven fact that if you receive support while trying to stop smoking your chance for success is greatly increased.
A urinary tract Infection (UTI) can occur in any part of your urinary system. Women are at greatest risk with symptoms including a burning feeling when you urinate, a frequent urge to urinate, even though little comes out when you do and pain in your back or lower abdomen. In addition your urine in often cloudy, dark, smelly and may have blood in it.
Our Pharmacy is registered to treat some Urinary Tract Infections without having to visit your GP. If you are a woman between 16 - 65 years old, have not had antibiotic treatment for a urinary tract infection in the last 28 days and have not had more than three previous urinary infections in the last year please speak to our Pharmacist. The Pharmacist will discuss your symptoms and whether you are eligible for treatment directly from the Pharmacy.