What_Is_Minor_Ailment_and_Why_to_Go_to_Pharmacy_for_Help_and_Advice

What is minor ailment and why to go to Pharmacy for help and advice Minor ailments are variously defined but are generally taken to include conditions that require little or no medical intervention. Established minor ailments schemes included: * _ athlete’s foot * _ bites and stings * _ constipation * _ contact dermatitis * _ cough * _ diarrhoea * _ dyspepsia * _ earache * _ hay fever * _ headache * _ head lice * _ mouth ulcers * _ nasal symptoms * _ sore throat * _ teething * _ temperature * _ vaginal thrush * _ viral upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) * Some pharmacies run a minor ailment service, which means that they can supply medicines for certain specific conditions on the NHS. * If your pharmacy runs a minor ailment service for eczema, for example, it means that your pharmacist can supply medicines for this condition, and you'll only pay the standard prescription charge or if you're exempt from paying prescription charges, for example because you're over 60 or this medicine is for the child under 16 or you are on Tax Credit exemption certificate  you won't pay for the medicine. * It means that if your pharmacist thinks you need it then they can give you a medicine on the NHS without you having to pay for it. * Pharmacists have an important role to play in providing alternative support for such patients in a convenient and accessible manner from their local community pharmacy. There are now more than a dozen successful schemes around the country which enable this to happen, safely. * Pharmacists are highly skilled and trained professionals. They can answer questions you may have about choosing and using the right medicine, provide easy to understand advice on treating everyday ailments, and will help you decide if you need to see a doctor. *  Pharmacists (sometimes called chemists) are experts in medicines and how they work. They play a vital role in providing quality healthcare to patients at your local pharmacy. * They dispense your prescriptions, provide a range of services related to specific health issues and can give advice. * If everybody went to a pharmacist with common health problems, more time would be freed for our GPs. This might make it easier to get a convenient appointment with your GP next time you need one. * It has been estimated that between 100 and 150 million GP consultations a year are for conditions that are potentially self-treatable * 1. With perhaps a quarter of adults with minor ailments consulting a GP about them at some stage * 2. One study found that GPs spend 39% of their time dealing with minor ailments * 3. Another that each GP’s workload could be reduced by 16 consultations a day if self-medication were used for certain minor ailments * Most GPs spend a significant proportion of their working day dealing with minor ailments. For some patients, this is entirely appropriate. But for many others, it is an inconvenient and way of getting help to look after themselves. For health professionals, it can be a distraction from tasks that really need a medical input. * Visits to the GP for minor ailments add up to 57 million consultations a year. But by visiting your pharmacy instead, you could save yourself time and trouble.