My funky finger got quick free medical advice blog discussion

MSE_Jenny

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's "My funky finger got quick free medical advice" blog. Please read the blog first, as the discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "My funky finger got quick free medical advice" Blog

Cazzdevil

I developed a bit of a funny looking red blotchy patch on my stomach last year, went to ask the pharmacist and they just said "I'm sorry, we're not allowed to give advice on these matters, I suggest you go to your GP.

Turned out it was shingles but the pharmacist wasn't actually allowed to tell me that!! Has the country gone crackers??

rick_x

I'm training as a GP at the moment and pharmacists are brilliant at dealing with minor illnesses, saving you the need to go to the GP. In addition they're also great at realising when something is not trivial (such as shingles as mentioned above) and sending the person along to the doctor. In many cases the pharmacists do have a very good idea what is going on but often they may suspect that it will need further investigations (that are beyond their resources) or simply that the medications you may need can only be prescribed by a doctor who knows your full medical history.

It's a case of being safe rather than sorry but please don't let that put you off visiting your pharmacist for advice it may save you a lot of time and worry.

cawyatt

I've been a GP for 15 years and I can tell you why; many people get FREE prescriptions these days, so why would they pay £2.75 for something you can get free if you get an appointment with your GP? Is that money-saving gone too far??

LizD_2

cawyatt wrote:

I've been a GP for 15 years and I can tell you why; many people get FREE prescriptions these days, so why would they pay £2.75 for something you can get free if you get an appointment with your GP? Is that money-saving gone too far??

But on the other hand, many people DON'T get free prescriptions. £6.65 per item , to subsidise those that do.

jan49_2

In St Helens there is a scheme called "Care at the Chemist" whereby people with certain "conditions" such as coughs, colds, headlice, headache etc can be given a prescription at the chemist if they do not otherwise pay for prescriptions.Again it does seem to be helping those who do not pay prescription charges anyway but is useful for those with children or over 60's who would normally buy a remedy over the counter rather than trouble their Gp with a minor ailment.Probably introduced to ease Gp pressure in giving appointments to people who can seek adequate advice form a pharmacist but may not do so because of the cost.Still not a bad idea though.Check with your PCT as it may be available in other areas.

Pablo_Fanque

At a slight tangent, can I point out a 50% rip-off or 100% saving that can occur to those people who have prescriptions for breath-actuated inhalers, in my case ‘Terbutaline Sulphate/Bricanyl Turbohaler’. Depending on which chemist you go to with the prescription (£6.65) you may get an inhaler for either 100 or 200 actuations! I discovered this by accident when I went to Sainsbury’s to get my prescription filled and commented to the pharmacist on the variation in ‘labelled’ actuations (100) compared to my current inhaler (200). She kindly took the time to phone a variety of agencies, her head office and my GP and discovered that it was to do with cost and where the stock was purchased from. The dosage per actuation with either is exactly as my GP had prescribed but depending on where the company/pharmacy sourced the medication for the best price (in the UK or abroad) then dictates how many actuations are in the inhaler. One option suggested was for me to ask my doctor to double the amount on the prescription. I didn’t bother with this as there are another two pharmacies nearby who were supplying me with '200s', however I have now discovered that the one located beside my surgery has started stocking the 100 actuation inhaler. So, for those who require this, and maybe other similar inhalers, always check what you are getting and where from. 100 or 200 puffs for the same prescription charge … it’s an easy calculation to benefit your finances and your health!

Ellie

Its also worth remembering ,when u take that prescription into the chemist, to ask if they sell the same item over the counter! You can sometimes save a good few pounds this way! More often than not the chemist will also check whats in the product prescribed and will sometimes even offer to sell you there own brand at far lower price!;)

Hiram

Careful. Do you really think you are getting a proper diagnosis with a quick look? Is it a fungal infection, yeast infection, wart or bacterial infection?????

Many GPs cannot tell a corn from a verruca.

Is the nail fungally infected or just the skin?

A paint on anti-fungal for skin will not cure an infected nail.

I work as an NHS Podiatrist. You cannot tell a nail fungal infection from a yeast infection without a confirmatory test. You can make an educated guess, however, this may cost you more money in the long run and putting steroid cream on a fungal infection will make it worse.


Get a proper diagnosis, see a professional and leave the Pharmacists to what they know best. Man of all trades and Master of none springs to mind.
Buyer beware!

gelato_cat

I'm now mates with the pharmacist as I'm always in there asking for advice! Not that I'm particularly sickly, but since I got diagnosed with asthma every single cold I get turns into a chest infection and the pharmacist is the best person to ask about how medication can affect other stuff you might be taking at the time or your health in general. Most doctors ain't got a scooby - they just look in their MIMS and get the prescription pad out. One time when I had to get penicillin, the pharmacist told me that I had to make sure I used extra "precautions" as I was on the Pill - the doc hadn't mentioned this at all and even had to ask me if I was allergic to penicillin in the first place! I said "I don't know - you've got my notes"!

My pharmacist will also get my repeat prescriptions for me which is a godsend as my doctor's surgery shuts long before I can get to it after work

One time I was in there mid-morning and a woman came in with her five-year-old daughter, lifted the girl's top up and said "I think she's got chicken pox". Pharmacist confirmed this was so - and the woman took the girl to the doc. I thought it was good that the woman made sure it was serious before going to the doc - a lot of people would have been straight down to A&E

Suze

frankie7

i not sure anyone can help but gunna post a list of my symptoms and was wonderin if anyone had any ideas as to what is wrong with me

i have been getting major pains in my stomach an have problems going to the toilet (i have not been for 3 days now), i have lost the whole of my appetite and struggle to keep any food down. i have also been running a temperature and having hot and cold flushes. thanks