[Cherie]

What can pharmacists prescribe?
These are the seven conditions pharmacists will be able to issue prescriptions for:

Earache
Uncomplicated urinary tract infection
Sore throat
Sinusitis
Impetigo
Shingles
Infected insect bites
Patients will also no longer need to speak to a practice nurse or GP to access oral contraception before obtaining it from a pharmacy.


https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/oth...a014991c&ei=17


Good news

[rusticgal]

Had a Patient yesterday who was directed to the chemist yesterday morning by our Surgery as she had pain in her ear. She went to 6 pharmacies in the area only told to be told they had not been trained. At 6:15pm she returned to Reception for help....

[Livia]

How do you tell if a urinary tract infection is uncomplicated? My friend's mother was treated by a doctor for an uncomplicated urinary tract infection and it turned out she had cancer. A doctor couldn't tell, but a pharmacist can? Where are they going to consult? In a private place or at the counter? It's just another dilution of the service we're supposed to get from the NHS.

[rusticgal]

Originally Posted by Livia

How do you tell if a urinary tract infection is uncomplicated? My friend's mother was treated by a doctor for an uncomplicated urinary tract infection and it turned out she had cancer. A doctor couldn't tell, but a pharmacist can? Where are they going to consult? In a private place or at the counter? It's just another dilution of the service we're supposed to get from the NHS.

Exactly you can't....and its not like they will be testing the urine I believe.

[joeysteele]

Thankfully I'm rarely ill but even when my Mum was alive, anytime I went to a pharmacy for advice.
All I got that was said to you, can they take paracetamol try to see if that helps for like pain.
More often than not, especially re my Mum.
Was best to see the GP

I've found the pharmacies a waste of time more than not.

I was in a store with a pharmacy on Friday, an elderly man went to it, asked to see the pharmacist.
He said he felt funny and was wondering if they could check his blood pressure.
To which he was told they didn't take blood pressure there.
Yet they had on sale blood pressure devices.

I think this is just trying to shift around any kind of care which maybe could be dangerous for some people ill.

Pharmacies have their purpose and no doubt good knowledge on many conditions but they are NOT Doctors.
So I am not yet convinced this is a good idea.
YET anyhow

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Livia

How do you tell if a urinary tract infection is uncomplicated? My friend's mother was treated by a doctor for an uncomplicated urinary tract infection and it turned out she had cancer. A doctor couldn't tell, but a pharmacist can? Where are they going to consult? In a private place or at the counter? It's just another dilution of the service we're supposed to get from the NHS.

Just saw this .
Yes, I have to agree wholeheartedly here.

[arista]

Originally Posted by rusticgal

Had a Patient yesterday who was directed to the chemist yesterday morning by our Surgery as she had pain in her ear. She went to 6 pharmacies in the area only told to be told they had not been trained. At 6:15pm she returned to Reception for help....

Yes, it is early days.

It will take time.

[smudgie]

Our pharmacy has always been very helpful, even before the days of having a consultation room.
I would be very happy to send a sample in for UTI rather than having a doctors appointment. Assuming they test and then send sample to the hospital for a more precise diagnosis, as does my doctor.

I am more concerned of the shortages of medications available, my insulin is now on the list of unavailable and I will have to get my doc to find an alternative.

[Cherie]

The problem is people have lost all common sense, they will rock up to a GP appointment with a broken nail literally and dont get me started on the mis use of A and E.... obviously if you go to a Pharmacy and the issue does not resolve in a week or so you then contact a GP don't think its rocket science myself

People seem to have no issue getting vaccinations from Pharmacies its just another layer on top and hopefully will free up GP appts

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by smudgie

Our pharmacy has always been very helpful, even before the days of having a consultation room.
I would be very happy to send a sample in for UTI rather than having a doctors appointment. Assuming they test and then send sample to the hospital for a more precise diagnosis, as does my doctor.

I am more concerned of the shortages of medications available, my insulin is now on the list of unavailable and I will have to get my doc to find an alternative.

That must be scary Smudge

[rusticgal]

Originally Posted by Cherie

The problem is people have lost all common sense, they will rock up to a GP appointment with a broken nail literally and dont get me started on the mis use of A and E.... obviously if you go to a Pharmacy and the issue does not resolve in a week or so you then contact a GP don't think its rocket science myself

People seem to have no issue getting vaccinations from Pharmacies its just another layer on top and hopefully will free up GP appts

You are completely right Cherie....its an eye opener working in a Surgery.

[Soldier Boy]

Originally Posted by Livia

How do you tell if a urinary tract infection is uncomplicated? My friend's mother was treated by a doctor for an uncomplicated urinary tract infection and it turned out she had cancer. A doctor couldn't tell, but a pharmacist can? Where are they going to consult? In a private place or at the counter? It's just another dilution of the service we're supposed to get from the NHS.

The Doctor wouldn't do any differently in the first instance though - they'd end up doing more tests if the UTI's were not going away (or repeatedly coming back). When pharmacists prescribe they send notification to your GP... So the same thing SHOULD flag up at the GP (repeated prescriptions) and they'd call you in for an appointment. Ideally. If the system is working as it should.

I do actually agree about the service but it's the other way round - not deliberately diluting the service, but trying to find ways to plug the gaping holes in a service that's been underfunded for a decade now and is starting to sag heavily under the weight. In a better world we'd have a properly funded and easily accessible service. But realistically the current alternative to being able to get a prescription at a pharmacy for a simple UTI is... Potentially not being able to access a GP appointment for weeks, and that simple UTI landing you in A&E with a much less simple kidney infection. And taking up A&E time when that's also at breaking point. It's a house of cards really, this is just another desperate attempt to keep it from falling.

Its only going to get worse. No one in their right mind would train to work in primary healthcare in the UK at the moment. Being a doctor used to be an attractive prospect for people... Now it's an absolute nightmare. So the people who understand that don't go down that route, and the people who haven't realised yet and go off to Uni to study medicine have a very very hard reality to face after graduation and for the next two decades of their career.

[bitontheslide]

i think people are remembering what a doctor used to do 10 years ago. Most doctors now are pretty clueless unless it is a standard illness. If they identify anything not simple then you get referred to a consultant

So, the upshot is that a qualified pharmacist is useful for the majority of minor ailments and it takes the pressure off the doctors surgery.

I had a terrible experience at my doctors surgery, even after being admitted to ICU, and I had to eventually request an alternative doctor after which, i got the care and medicine that i needed, but it wasn't easy, even after having a medical emergency

[UserSince2005]

Can I get my Gonorrhea sorted?

[smudgie]

Originally Posted by Cherie

That must be scary Smudge

It’s not ideal, but hopefully it will get sorted, I am ok for this month.

[Soldier Boy]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

i think people are remembering what a doctor used to do 10 years ago. Most doctors now are pretty clueless unless it is a standard illness. If they identify anything not simple then you get referred to a consultant

So, the upshot is that a qualified pharmacist is useful for the majority of minor ailments and it takes the pressure off the doctors surgery.

I had a terrible experience at my doctors surgery, even after being admitted to ICU, and I had to eventually request an alternative doctor after which, i got the care and medicine that i needed, but it wasn't easy, even after having a medical emergency

I wouldn't say GPs are useless they are quite experienced doctors, you don't just walk into a proper GP position at a decent practice, BUT they will have a specialism that they're particularly educated with and other ailments not so much. One of the partners at our local surgery has a background in oncology for example - so always very reassuring when you go to him and he's not worried about the big C.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

Thankfully I'm rarely ill but even when my Mum was alive, anytime I went to a pharmacy for advice.
All I got was cancelled you, can they take paracetamol try to sebif that helps for like pain.
More often than not, especially re my Mum.
Was best to see the GP

I've found the pharmacies a waste of time more than not.

I was in a store with a pharmacy on Friday, an elderly man went to it, asked to see the pharmacist.
He said he felt funny and was wondering if they could check his blood pressure.
To which he was told they didn't take blood pressure there.
Yet they had on sale blood pressure devices.

I think this is just trying to shift around any kind of care which maybe could be dangerous for some people ill.

Pharmacies have their purpose and no doubt good knowledge on many conditions but they are NOT Doctors.
So I am not yet convinced this is a good idea.
YET anyhow

Sorry about your loss, Joey.