NHS Pharmacy First Scotland

What is NHS Pharmacy First Scotland? 

• NHS Pharmacy First Scotland is an NHS service provided by your local community pharmacy,
• If you have a minor illness, a pharmacy is the first place you should go for advice,
• You do not usually need an appointment and you can go to any pharmacy,
• Your pharmacist or Pharmacy staff can give you advice for a minor illness, and give you medicine if you think you need it.

Who is the service for? 

You can use NHS Pharmacy First Scotland if you are registered with a GP practice in Scotland and you live in Scotland.

People who do NOT live in Scotland cannot use the service, even if they are registered with a GP practice in Scotland.

Speak to our pharmacy team at Gairloch Pharmacy for more details.

How does the service work?

• Pharmacy teams are experts in medicine and can help with minor health concerns,
• A Pharmacy team can give you advice and treatment (if you need it) for minor illnesses such as the following; Acne, Allergies, Athletes foot, Backache, Blocked or runny nose, Cold sores, Constipation, Cough, Cystitis (in women) Diarrhoea, Earache, Eczema, Headache, Headlice, Haemorrhoids, Hay fever, Impetigo, Indigestion, Mouth Ulcers, Pain, Period Pain, Sore Throat, Threadworms, Thrush, Warts & Verruca’s.
• Pharmacists, like GPs, can only provide certain medications and products on the NHS. All of these are proven effective for treating your condition. If you want a specific medicine or product, you may need to buy it. The Pharmacy Team, can give you advice on this,
• If the Pharmacist thinks its better for you to see your GP, they may refer you directly or tell you to make an appointment.

When you visit the Pharmacy, a member of the Pharmacy team will ask you for some information, including your name, date of birth and postcode.

The Pharmacy Team will also;

• Ask you about your symptoms,
• give you advice on your condition,
• Provide medication, if you need it, and
• refer you to another healthcare professional (for example the GP) if they think this is necessary.

You can ask to use the Pharmacy’s consultation area, if you wish to speak to a member of the team in private.

For more information you can visit; NHS Highland Pharmacy First

or alternatively speak to a member of the practice or pharmacy team – Leaflets available in both of our Surgeries and the Pharmacy regarding the NHS Pharmacy First Scotland Service.