Pharmacy
Pharmacists are experts in medicines who can help you with minor health concerns.
You can find your nearest pharmacy here by typing in your postcode.
As qualified healthcare professionals, pharmacists can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains.
If symptoms suggest it's something more serious, pharmacists have the right training to make sure you get the help you need. For example, they may advise you to see a member of the GP practice team.
All pharmacists train for 5 years in the use of medicines. They are also trained in managing minor illnesses and providing health and wellbeing advice.
Most pharmacies have a private consultation room where you can discuss issues with pharmacy staff without being overheard, you usually do not need to pre book an appointment for this service.
Many pharmacies have late night opening hours and some are open 7 days a week. You can check your local pharmacy opening times here.
Pharmacists are experts in medicines who can help you with minor health concerns. They can help with your medicines, repeat prescriptions, minor illnesses, disposing of old medicines as well as many other services. To find out more visit What to expect from your pharmacy team - NHS
Most people will take medicines at some point in their lives. They can be used to stop you getting ill, control a condition or cure an illness. To make the most of your medicines, you need to:
- Take them at the right times
- Take them in the right way
- Look out for side effects
- Make sure you always have enough.
Your Pharmacy team can help and support you with all the above and provide you with advice on any medication queries that you have.
Click here to see the different types of medicine, the difference between branded drugs and generics, and how medicines become available.
The Patients Association have produced a helpful resource here to help explain how to get the best out of your medicines.
There are various options available to patients to help with day-to-day management of medicines, including for example, larger printed labels, containers that are easier to open and reminder charts. Reviews of medicines by the community pharmacist or GP can help patients understand their medicines better and possibly simplify medicines regimes so that patients can manage their medicines easier.
We know from research that many medicines aren't always taken by patients as intended. Sometimes medicines are complex to manage particularly if you are taking several medicines and for a long-term condition. We therefore encourage patients to have discussions with either the community pharmacist or dispensers in order to see what options for support are available.
Many people do not regard themselves as carers since the term “carer” is often associated with a health professional or a paid carer. However, if you are supporting a family member or friend who couldn’t manage without your support then you might find the following information helpful.
Managing medicines for someone else can be a challenge, particularly if they're taking several different types.
Click on this link to see Medicines: Tips for carers which will provide you information and support. It will also tell you how your NHS community pharmacist can help you to support the safe management and administration of medicines on a day-to-day basis for the person you are caring for.
Did you know?
Every year £300 million pounds of NHS taxpayers’ money is spent on unused medicines that are thrown away. This is vital money that could be re-invested back into our local NHS for patient care.
Everyone has a part to play to reduce the waste of prescription medicines.
How can you help?
- Check what medicines you have already at home before you re-order more.
- Remember, don’t tick it if you don’t need it! There is no need to worry, the item will not disappear from your repeat prescription. It will still be there next time you need to order your medication.
- Having regular discussions with your pharmacist and GP will mean you get the right help with taking your medicines.
- Next time you pick up your prescription from the pharmacy, check your prescription bag whilst you are still inside the pharmacy. This means that you can return any unwanted medicines to the pharmacist. You cannot do this once you have left the pharmacy.
If everyone makes these small changes then together we can make a massive difference to reducing medicines waste and looking after our NHS.
Repeat Dispensing is a way of getting your medicines without having to ask the doctor for a prescription each time.
Electronic repeat dispensing is a reliable, secure and confidential NHS service. Unlike paper prescriptions, electronic prescriptions can't get lost between the doctor and the pharmacy. Processing fewer paper prescriptions could save the NHS millions of pounds each year and it easier for the NHS to manage - ensuring that medicine use stays safe, effective and efficient.
Your doctor will send a series of electronic repeat prescriptions to your pharmacy in one go, so there's no need for you to order them each time.
You can collect your medicines from the pharmacy at regular intervals for up to 12 months without having to contact your doctor.
Your doctor will decide how often you should collect your prescription and how long it will last for.
When you need more medicines, go back to your pharmacy. Before dispensing the next issue of your prescription, your pharmacy will ask:
- have you seen any health professionals (GP, nurse or hospital doctor), since your last repeat prescription was supplied?
- have you recently started taking any new medicines - either on prescription or that you have bought over the counter?
- have you been having any problems with your medication or experiencing any side effects?
- are there any items on your repeat prescription that you don't need this month?
If you don't need all of your prescription, let the pharmacy staff know, so that they only supply the medicines you need. This will help to reduce waste and save the NHS money.
Please note that repeat dispensing is not suitable for all patients and can only be done at your doctor’s discretion.
If you're prescribed a medicine to treat a long-term condition for the first time, you may be able to get extra help and advice about your medicine from your local pharmacist through a free scheme called the New Medicine Service (NMS). To find out more, click here.
All NHS community pharmacies will stock medicines commonly used in palliative care, but this list may be referenced for those pharmacies which stock increased levels of palliative care medicines. Having good and convenient access to these medicines means that patients can have the right medicines at home if they need them.
A list of pharmacies that hold increased levels of these medications can be found here.
Please use the following link to access information on the current Sexual Health Services Providers for emergency contraception services in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Community pharmacies are offering free NHS blood pressure checks to people aged 40 and over, often with no appointment necessary.
This free check involves spending around 10-15 minutes in the pharmacy consultation room with the pharmacist or trained member of staff. Following this, you may be invited to take home a blood pressure monitor that measures your blood pressure as you go about your daily life.
Depending on your blood pressure reading you may be referred to your GP practice. The pharmacist will guide you through any necessary steps depending on your blood pressure result.
- High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a condition which can be controlled to reduce your risk of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular disease.
- In the UK there are about five million adults (one in every nine) who have high blood pressure without even knowing it, since high blood pressure itself rarely causes symptoms.
- The British Heart Foundation estimates that high blood pressure causes over 50% of heart attacks and strokes.
Blood pressure is the force of your blood moving against the walls of your arteries. It is expressed as two numbers, one above the other. You will be provided with your reading and understand which category you currently fit into and be provided with information which you can use to help reduce your blood pressure if it is high or maintain your blood pressure within the expected range.
To find a pharmacy which offers this service please follow the link below.
For details on how to make a complaint about a community pharmacy please click here.