Coronation Bank Holiday chemists

DOZENS of pharmacies will open across Hampshire during the extra Monday Bank Holiday on May 8 for the King’s Coronation.

Readers can view them by clicking here.

A map of the pharmacies that will be open across the South East is also available here.

Dr Tim Cooper, Chief Medical Officer for Primary and Local Care for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, said: “Many of the usual NHS services will be open for business as usual over the extra Monday Bank Holiday, and pharmacies are an extremely important part of the available services.

“But many pharmacies of course already offer extended opening hours in the evenings and at weekends. Some are open until midnight or even later, even on public holidays.

“It’s impossible to overstate the value of your local community pharmacies. The pharmacists are experts in medicines and they can help you with minor health concerns.

“As qualified healthcare professions, who have all had five years trained, they can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains.

“Pharmacists are also trained in managing minor illnesses and providing health and wellbeing advice.

“If symptoms suggest your condition is something more serious, pharmacists are trained to ensure that you receive the help you need – such as advising you to see a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional. They may also direct you to use 111 and 111 online to ensure you can get the help you need.

“Many are open until late and at weekends. You don’t need an appointment.

“We would also like to make our usual reminder to people on repeat medication to please check that they have enough to get them through the bank holidays so that staff in GP practices and the pharmacies don’t face an avalanche of activity on the Tuesdays following the bank holidays.”

Pharmacists can answer questions about prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

All pharmacies provide the following services:

• dispensing of NHS prescriptions
• access to the repeat prescription service (with agreement from your GP)
• an emergency supply of medicine, subject to the decision of the pharmacist (you may need to pay for an emergency supply)
• non-prescription medicines like paracetamol
• disposal of unwanted or out-of-date medicines
• advice on treating minor health concerns and healthy living.

Pharmacy technicians can help with things like:

• inhaler technique
• how to take a medicine safely
• helping you understand the correct dose of a new medicine and how often you need to take it.

Pharmacies can give treatment advice about a range of common conditions and minor injuries, such as:

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

Other services that may be available at your local pharmacy:

• you may be referred to a pharmacist for advice after contacting NHS 111 or a GP
• emergency contraception
• asthma inhaler use and advice
• chlamydia screening and treatment
• stop smoking service
• blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar testing
• substance misuse service, including needle and syringe exchange schemes
• weight management service
• flu vaccination.