Campaign encourages people to visit their pharmacist

NHS England is launching a new campaign to raise awareness that community pharmacists are qualified healthcare professionals, who can offer clinical advice and over the counter medicines to effectively and safely manage a range of minor health concerns. 84% of adults agree too many people go to the GP when they could get the help they need from a pharmacy, however 53% were not confident about the situations they should get a pharmacist’s advice on before visiting the GP.

As part of the ‘Help Us, Help You’ initiative, the campaign will highlight that local pharmacy teams offer a fast and convenient clinical service for minor health concerns with no appointment needed and use of a private consultation room should it be required. And if symptoms suggest it’s something more serious, pharmacists have the right clinical training to ensure people get the help they need immediately and can refer patients to a GP or A&E where necessary.

Aston spoke to Abraham Khodadi – otherwise known as Abraham The Pharmacist. Abraham is an NHS community pharmacist, educational video creator and social media personality whose goal is to promote the role and expertise of pharmacists and community pharmacy to the public.