Pharmacists: we see them everywhere, most of us make multiple visits each year, but do we tap into their services properly? Thorrun Govind reports

Pharmacists are experts in medicines, which the public are well aware of. But they can also help people with minor health concerns, a fact that is perhaps lesser well known.

The vast majority of people – 89% of us – live within a 20 minute walk of their local pharmacy. In fact, there are many more pharmacists and pharmacies than there are GPs. Indeed there are even pharmacists working in General Practice. Figures from 2022 highlight there are approximately:

• 60,000 pharmacists compared to 35,626 GPs;
• 13,843 pharmacies in the UK, compared to 6,479 GP surgeries.

What do pharmacists do?

With GP surgeries increasingly pressed for time, the power of pharmacists looks set to rise. As things stand right now, this is what you can expect from your pharmacy:

Collect and buy medication

Pick up your prescription and buy over the counter medicines for a wide range of minor illnesses.

Advice on health conditions

Pharmacists can offer clinical advice on some health conditions. Their five-year training in the use of medicines extends to managing minor illnesses. Most pharmacies have a consultation room where you can discuss health issues in private.

You don’t need to make an appointment (naturally you’ll have to wait until the pharmacist is free). Pharmacies are often open into the early evening and at weekends. Consultations are free and accessible, and most people live within a 20 minute walk from a pharmacy.

Part of our role is to establish if symptoms could indicate a different diagnosis. We keep an eye out for red flags, ie if a more urgent referral is needed.

Lifestyle advice

Our training incorporates offering relevant lifestyle advice to the public about, for example, weight management, smoking cessation and the importance of eating a healthy balanced diet.

Prescribe medication

Some pharmacists have the power to prescribe some drugs which are otherwise only available with a prescription. Even those pharmacists who are not prescribers can advise people on the different types of pain relief they may be using.

Arthritis

When someone with arthritis comes to us with a problem, we’ll look closely at their medication. We check what they have been prescribed, how long they have been taking it for, what their symptoms were and how they are currently feeling. We’ll ask when the individual last saw their GP or rheumatologist.

If the person is having health problems in spite of their medication, or if they think the issues are because of their medication, we will suggest they make a diary of their symptoms so they are prepared when they see their doctor.

We’ll remind people with arthritis how important it is to stay active. Most pharmacists stock an array of braces and insoles and can help people choose the right one for their health concern, when appropriate.

The wider team

GPs are trained in making a diagnosis, deciding which medication to prescribe, liaising with the wider healthcare team, and managing people’s health conditions.

Pharmacists are specifically trained in medication, so come at health issues from a different angle than GPs. We spend five years learning about the intricacies of drugs, and have further training throughout our careers.

Pharmacists learn about how drugs work, how long they stay in the body for and what the side effects may be. We can also advise when a drug should not be given.

Future

We cannot currently access all patient records but I hope in the future this will change as it will enable us to do our jobs even more effectively. This will make it even easier to check that drugs do not conflict with one another when people are prescribed medications for different health issues.

Being a pharmacist is a hugely interesting and rewarding role and I would encourage any young person to take it up as a career.

About the author: Thorrun Govind is a Pharmacist, Healthcare Advisory Lawyer and the Chair of the English Pharmacy Board at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

DO YOU KNOW WHAT A PODIATRIST CAN DO FOR YOU? READ GEORGE COLES’S ARTICLE TO FIND OUT

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