News and media releases from the Surrey Heartlands area
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Surrey resident finds faster relief for sore throat thanks to local pharmacy
When Millie, a Dorking local, woke up with a sore throat, she worried it might be something serious and wanted quick advice and support.
She called her GP surgery, thinking she would need an appointment, but they suggested she’d be better off popping into her local pharmacy instead as they now offer the Pharmacy First service.
The receptionist assured Millie that she’d pass on all the details needed to the pharmacist, so she wouldn’t need to explain her symptoms all over again.
Millie was able to book an appointment on the same day at her local pharmacy, she spoke with a trained pharmacist in a private consultation, and walked away with the medication she needed, all within minutes.
“Everything went so smoothly, no fuss, no endless waiting,” she says in a short video. “I might start going to the pharmacy for more things like this now.”
Local pharmacists across Surrey can now treat seven common conditions, from sore throats and ear infections to uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs), impetigo, infected insect bites, shingles, and sinusitis, without the need for a GP appointment.
Linda, Director of Pharmacy at Surrey Heartlands ICB, said:
An amazing 97% of Surrey’s community pharmacies provide the Pharmacy First service.
If you go to a pharmacy with one of the above 7 conditions, the pharmacist will offer you advice, treatment or refer you to a GP or other health professional if needed.
You can also be referred to your pharmacy by your GP, NHS 111, or other medical services.
It’s a safe, convenient way for people to get faster relief for common conditions.
So next time you or someone in your family is feeling unwell with any of the seven conditions, head straight to your local pharmacy first.