Community Pharmacy: Keeping You Safe This Winter

The winter months can have a considerable effect on your overall health, which is why it’s vital for you and your family to keep fit and well during this time. If you think your health concern is too minor to seek medical advice, your local pharmacy can help.

One of the organisation who work with pharmacies throughout Manchester is the Greater Manchester Local Pharmacutical Committee (GMLPC). They are the statutory organisation representing community pharmacists in our area. They represent pharmacy contractors in discussions with the NHS, local authorities and partners to plan and agree local services. If you would like more information about them, please visit their website.

Community pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals who can advise on a range of minor illnesses and provide further support to keep you and family safe and healthy.

Although community pharmacies can now provide a wider range of clinical and public health services, the clinical expertise of pharmacists is still an under-utilised resource. Pharmacists receive 5 years of professional clinical training before being qualified to manage minor illnesses, minor injuries, prescribe medication, and help with a range of health and wellbeing topics.

Community pharmacies are the most accessible healthcare providers who offer advice and support to local residents on a walk-in basis. During an average week across all 11,400 community pharmacies in England, over 600,000 consultations are carried out to respond to patients’ symptoms.

Some of the minor illnesses pharmacists can offer support with include:

• aches and pains
• sore throat
• coughs
• colds
• flu
• earache
• cystitis
• skin rashes
• teething
• red eye

90% of the population has a community pharmacy within a 20 minute walk from their homes, offering patients a fast, convenient, clinical service which will also help reduce unnecessary appointments with GPs and Emergency Healthcare Services.

Due to the unprecedented challenges of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it is important, now more than ever, to seek medical advice in order to stay safe and well. If you’re struggling and need support, community pharmacies will help you in any way they can.

Don’t wait for minor illnesses to get worse – think pharmacy first and visit your local pharmacy today.

‘I’d encourage people to go to their pharmacy first for advice because they’ll always help if they can. We don’t know what we’d do without ours.  They’re always there, but it’s up to us to utilise them’ - Graham Batty, patient