Pharmacy Help

Common problems Your Pharmacist Can Help With

Why Visit Your Pharmacy

It’s estimated 50 million visits to the GP are made every year for minor ailments such as coughs and colds, mild eczema and athlete’s foot.

But by visiting your pharmacy instead, you could save yourself time and trouble. Instead of booking and waiting for a GP appointment, you can visit your local pharmacist any time, just walk in.

The Common Ailments Scheme

The Common Ailments Scheme is an initiative to help ease the burden on primary care services, and to expedite appropriate treatment for a variety of the most common problems people experience.

It is a first point of contact via a chemist, where an experienced pharmacist can perform a consultation and examination of a patient and precribe without having to contact a GP.

You can visit your pharmacy for conditions such as: 

• mild skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, impetigo, athlete’s foot
• coughs and colds, including blocked nose (nasal congestion), and sore throats
• bruises, sunburn, and minor burns and scalds
• constipation and piles (haemorrhoids)
• hay fever, dry eyes and allergies (including rashes, bites and stings)
• aches and pains, including earache, headache, migraine, back pain and toothache
• vomiting, heartburn, indigestion, diarrhoea and threadworms
• period pain, thrush and cystitis
• head lice 
• conjunctivitis, cold sores and mouth ulcers
• warts and verrucas
• nappy rash and teething

If the pharmacist is unable to treat the problem, they can provide you with a Common Ailments Referral, which will greatly assist the GP in diagnosing and treating you.

You can find a list of local pharmacies that offer this service below.

Alternatively, you can:

Find local pharmacies using the NHS 111 Wales search tool.