Ask Your Pharmacist Week 2024: Empowering communities to take charge of their wellbeing

6 November 2024

“Ask Your Pharmacist” is the message being shared with local communities this November by healthcare professionals at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

The national campaign ‘Ask Your Pharmacist Week’, organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), takes place from Monday 4 to Monday 11 November and is held every year across the UK.

It aims to raise awareness of pharmacy teams and their work, highlighting the range of services provided, and empowering people to take charge of their wellbeing.

Following the launch of the new scheme Pharmacy First earlier this year, pharmacies can now provide more urgent care for common illnesses, help monitor blood pressure, offer flu vaccinations, and provide oral contraception.

This expanded Pharmacy First service means that people from local communities can get the help they need faster, in a convenient location, and often without the need to book an appointment.

Additionally, the Think Which Service campaign, which launched this week, urges local people to ‘Think Self-Care’ and to consider using services such as their local pharmacy and the expertise that pharmacists can provide, Minor Injury Unit (MIU) or NHS 111.

Manuel Alejandro Ruiz Carrasco, Pharmacist Manager from the Day Lewis Pharmacy in Oswestry, said: “As the role of pharmacy expands within the health service, we want the public to know they can always rely on walk-in, face-to-face expertise from friendly staff.

“Pharmacists are well placed in the heart of communities to be able to provide safe and effective care to residents and help them identify and access treatment for minor illnesses such as sore throats, impetigo, shingles, and UTIs in women, to name a few.

“In some instances, they may refer you to another healthcare provider if they identify something that may need further investigation. We would like to encourage anyone who needs support with healthy living, convenient access to medications, and prompt advice, to Ask Your Pharmacist.”