There are good and bad aspects of British health care. Getting our medical advice and treatment for free is a bonus that some countries including the USA do not receive. Unfortunately, we are sometimes hard pressed to get a doctor’s appointment within two or three weeks. If you are struggling to get advice or treatment for any ailment, where else can you turn for your health needs? A busy accident and emergency room is the last place you would want to be for a more minor or less urgent health question, even for the hypochondriacs of us out there. The proliferation of pharmacies on our high street should be where we are turning to, because the staff are superbly trained and can help 90% of people on the spot.
From May 1 2006, there has been the opportunity for pharmacists to become an independent prescriber so they can prescribe licensed medicines for any medical conditions they have familiarity with. When all the necessary training has been completed, they are known as pharmacist independent prescribers.
If you cannot get off work or have little spare time, having qualified pharmacists able to prescribe medicines to us on the high street is a good development. You will be able to have an appointment with a qualified professional just by going into your high street pharmacy. Just because you are not speaking to a doctor does not mean you will be able to scam the pharmacist into giving you unnecessary drugs. There will be thorough examinations before any drugs are prescribed, just as you would expect at your doctor’s surgery.
these pharmaceutical consultants will have been through extensive training before being allowed to prescribe licensed drugs to the population. Spotting for substance abuse and recognising symptoms is included in the training that independent prescribers will be given before they are qualified.
Your high street pharmacist should be your first contact with the health care system for minor and non-urgent medical issues. Unless you have a medical emergency or a very difficult case, they should be able to treat you or give you advice. All of this is to help get you back to your normal healthy self as quick as possible.