General

We provide flu vaccines and private travel health services in all of our pharmacies. But did you know that we can come out and provide vaccines in your workplace ? We will arrange for a pharmacist to run a vaccine clinic in your workplace at a time that is convenient to you. Flu vaccines in your work place We offer flu vaccine clinics in the workplace. We will send questionnaires to be completed in advance of the clinic so that the service runs efficiently. Flu can be very unpleasant. Experts expect the flu season... Read More

As part of our Healthy Living Pharmacy project, we are featuring messages from the Think! Driving campaign in our pharmacies in Rushcliffe, you can find out more about the campaign by visiting the campaign website http://think.direct.gov.uk/index.html   Why driving? You might not think that a campaign on driving is an obvious choice for a pharmacy. However, whilst public health in Rushcliffe is generally good, the rate of people killed and seriously injured on roads is worse than average.  The risks of serious injuries and deaths on roads are higher in... Read More

  In the media recently there have been articles about antibiotics. Some reports suggested that you might not need to complete the course. So what is the evidence behind the headlines?   One study is not enough evidence to change practice The recent media reports came after just one study published in the Lancet. The study claimed that doctors could be able to prescribe shorter courses of medicines to treat infections. However, this was just one study. Different studies can be contradictory. So NHS England have concluded that much more evidence is... Read More

Po Recently in the media there have been reports about reducing your risk of getting dementia. Did you know that one in three cases of dementia could be prevented if more people looked after their brain health throughout life, according to an international study in the Lancet? So what can you do to reduce your risks?   Reducing your dementia risk throughout your life Did you know that people who complete secondary school are less likely to get dementia? Some experts are looking into the benefits of building a “cognitive... Read More

Are you going away? Have you packed your medicines? This post contains a general travel health medicines checklist. Please call into one of our branches and speak to a member of staff to get specific advice for your plans. Medicines Checklist First Aid kit – containing plasters, antiseptic spray, thermometer, scissors, various dressings, adhesive tape Consider sterile needles and syringes, IV kit Insect Bites – antihistamines, steroid cream, insect repellent, mosquito net, plug in insecticide vaporiser Water purification – water disinfectant tablets or drops Sun cream – High factor UVA/B Sun cream... Read More

Is your NHS exemption paperwork up to date? We were concerned to read this article in the media recently on increased patient fines. The article states that patient prescription fines have doubled in a year. Often this is because people who are exempt from prescription charges have forgotten to renew paperwork. People with medical conditions such as diabetes often think that they are exempt from charges. Whilst this is true, paperwork needs to be renewed, this is not automatic. Do pharmacists check exemptions? Often support staff will ask to see... Read More

  We are busy setting our branches up as healthy living pharmacies. This means that our pharmacies will meet certain public health standards. Public health is a term used to describe considering the health of a whole community. We will focus on the needs of the community around each of our branches. So the exact details will be unique to each branch. We are working with our branch managers to consider health promotion topics for each branch. You can find out more about the health in your local community by... Read More

We often get asked about bites and stings. This article tells you more about bites and stings and how to prevent and treat them. Most stings cause pain and slight swelling but have little other effect. Occasionally, some people are allergic to stings and can develop reactions that can be life-threatening. Call an ambulance straight away if you think you have an allergic reaction soon after being stung. Signs of a severe allergic reaction include blotchy rash, wheezing, swelling of your mouth or face, general redness of your skin, a... Read More

This article tells you more about your responsibilities if you want to drive when you are taking medicines. This is one of a series of posts to support healthy communities. All of our branches are becoming healthy living pharmacies. This means that our staff will be looking at the health needs in your local community. They will use this information to plan activities to support your community to improve their health.   Medicines and driving Did you know that the rate of people killed and seriously injured on roads in... Read More

This article tells you about how you can avoid mosquito bites. There are a number of things that you can do to reduce your risk of mosquito bites. This is important to prevent malaria and other infections.   Be aware of the risks of malaria and other infections in your destination Your risk of malaria and other infections will depend on the country that you are travelling to, whether the area you will be staying in is urban or rural and the kinds of activities that you will be doing... Read More