The winter months are just round the corner and often this sees an increase in coughs and colds circulating amongst local communities.
Sometimes when you are struck down with the symptoms the immediate reaction is to book an appointment with your local GP and get some medicines to make it better.
However for coughs, colds and some winter bugs there is no cure so seeking advice from your local pharmacists is often a better option. It could save you and your GP time – time which in the case of medical staff could be spent seeing patients in greater need.
The majority of colds and flu like illnesses will be over in a few days and your pharmacist can help you manage the symptoms and give you practical advice.
There are over 150 pharmacies in Dorset, within communities, in out of town shopping centres and the high street. Many are open evenings and weekends. Pharmacies offer a wide range of services; many also have private consultation rooms if you would like to speak in confidence.
Treat Yourself Better with Pharmacist Advice is a national campaign which encourages people to self-treat winter ailments with pharmacy support, rather than going to their GP or in some cases A&E. The campaign is designed to ease winter pressures for the NHS by reducing unnecessary visits to GPs and A&E departments, reduce demand for antibiotics, and clearly signpost community pharmacies as the first port of call for professional advice and treatments to manage the symptoms of common winter conditions.
Katherine Gough is Chief Pharmacist with NHS Dorset CCG. Having worked with local pharmacies for a number of years she recognises the important role they play. She said “Using pharmacies for common illnesses such as coughs and colds frees up NHS resources that could be seeing and treating people in greater need. We want people to realise that pharmacists are not just there to issue prescriptions; they can offer advice on a huge range of ailments and can offer practical advice on managing symptoms. As with seeking any medical advice, the earlier the better – don’t let your symptoms escalate to the point where you have to seek emergency care”.
There is more information on how to get the best out of your pharmacist via the NHS Dorset CCG website www.dorsetccg.nhs.uk.
A list of local pharmacies can be found by searching on the national NHS website www.nhs.uk.
GP practices across Dorset offer flu vaccinations for those people who meet the criteria. Details of these can be found on the locality pages of the NHS Dorset CCG website.
