WE long for summer each year but the warmer temperatures brings with it a whole host of health issues.
From nasty bug bites to UTIs – if the faff of getting a GP appointment strikes a cord of dread within you, then look no further.
You can get many summer health conditions treated at your local pharmacy, with no appointment necessary.
This has been made possible by a scheme dubbed Pharmacy First, which allows chemists to treat seven common health conditions – from earache and infected bug bites, UTIs and impetigo.
Rolled out in pharmacies in England earlier this year, the scheme is available in most Boots stores across the country.
TV doctor and practising NHS GP Dr Sara Kayat tells The Sun just what you can expect when you walk into a pharmacy to access care under Pharmacy First.
“Pharmacists have been given specialist training to treat and to diagnose the seven common health conditions,” she says.
Some of these may be more common during the summer months.
“The idea is that it frees up time for a GP and means that patients can have access to expert health care and advice for common health conditions without the need to wait for a GP appointment,” Dr Sara explains.
It can also mean that you can pop in after school or work to access treatment, without having to take time off.
Worried you might not get the same care you’d get from a GP?
There’s no need, Dr Sara says, having worked closely with pharmacists throughout her career.
“They’re really highly qualified healthcare professionals, they undergo extensive training,” she explains.
Aside from having completed four-year university degrees, plus a year of in-work training, pharmacists participating in the scheme have to go through additional training as well.
“Pharmacists are first and foremost experts in medicine,” Dr Sara says, so they’re definitely the people to go to over medication queries.
And if you’re not sure whether an ailment should be managed by a pharmacist or GP, it’s worth popping in to your local chemist to check – they can signpost you to a GP if need be.
Here are the four common summer conditions you can get treated by a pharmacist – and the signs that mean you need to get your ailment seen to.
“Infected insect bites tend to be more common in the summer, firstly because the insects tend to be more prevalent but also because we tend to be out and about more, lying on grass, in the outdoors,” Dr Sara explains.
“We also tend to be wearing less and are covered up less, so we’re more likely to get bitten.
“Where you’re more likely to get bitten it’s more likely that you’ll get them infected,” the GP adds.
Though very annoying, insect bites don’t tend to be something to worry about. The itchy bumps should clear up within a couple days.
“With an infected insect bite, that red lump starts to either get bigger or the redness starts to spread,” Dr Sara notes.
“It can then start to become painful and increasingly itchy and sometimes it can also create pus and discharge.”
So if you’re wondering whether to see a pharmacist about your bug bites, these are the red flags to watch out for.
Earache is another common summer ailment that crops up as we spend more time swimming and splashing about in the sea or pools.
“Swimming pools and the beach can play havoc with your kids ears, so you tend to get an increase in ear infections during the summer,” Dr Sara explains.
Luckily enough, it’s another condition encompassed by Pharmacy First.
Wondering when to get your sore ear checked out?
It’s worth seeing a pharmacist about an earache if you’re getting “very intense pain that’s not alleviated by simple pain relief”, according to the GP.
If you notice a reduction in your hearing and tinnitus – a high pitched ringing or buzzing sound inside your ear – then it’s a sign to get your earache seen to.
You may even develop of a fever or feel unwell, as you would with the flu, Dr Sara adds.
Sinusitis – swelling of the sinuses usually caused by infections or allergies – can also be common during during the summer, depending on its type.
As Dr Sara explained: “There’s viral sinusitis, there’s chronic sinusitis – which can be allergen related – and then there’s bacterial sinusitis.
“If you have the type of sinusitis that’s triggered by allergies, then pollen and hay fever can be a big trigger there as well.”
Sinusitis can vary in severity, according to the GP.
“As it becomes more severe you might notice a significant headache, toothache, you might get a fever alongside it.
“You may also notice significant tenderness around your eyes, cheeks or forehead and some people can also have an affected sense of smell, sometimes even noticing a bad smell or a bad taste because of the effect of mucus,” Dr Sara adds.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usually caused by bacteria entering the bladder, urethra or kidneys.
And they can be more common in the summer, according to Dr Sara, with the hot weather causing “the perfect storm” for these to flourish.
“One of the main triggers might be the dehydration aspect of summer, because if you’re not drinking enough fluid then you’re not excreting as much and your urine becomes more concentrated which can also irritate the bladder,” she explained.
Having sex and not keeping the area clean and dry can also increase the chance of bacteria getting into the urinary tract.
A key sign of the infection is burning or stinging when you pee.
Pharmacists across England are to assess and treat patients for:
You might find yourself peeing more frequently and your urine might become darker in colour, cloudy or start to smell, Dr Sara said.
“You may notice some blood in the urine and pains in the supra-pubic area – the bit at the lower part of your tummy – or even in your back,” the GP added.
“Things that you really need to be wary of are if you then start to become feverish, the back pains become more prominent or if you become unwell with it.”
You can get a UTI seen to by a pharmacist under Pharmacy First – as long as it’s “uncomplicated”.
This encompasses the “bog standard” UTI symptoms, such as “the burning, the stinging, the passing urine more frequently”, according to Dr Sara.
“But when you start getting significant back pain associated with it, if you start noticing that you’re unwell, if you’re getting a fever, then that can all indicate that it’s become complicated, which essentially means that it could be travelling up towards the kidneys,” the GP warned.
“That needs more immediate treatment,” she stated, meaning you should see a GP promptly or go to hospital.
“Obviously GPs will try and treat it initially but in some cases it does need to be seen in the hospital,” Dr Sara explained.
So, you walk into a pharmacy asking for a common condition to be seen to by a pharmacist – what next?
“You’ll be offered a consultation, often in a private room,” Dr Sara explains.
In the same way that a GP would, the pharmacist will ask you a few questions about your health, do an examination and offer you a treatment based on these findings.
“Very much similar to a GP appointment,” according to Dr Sara.
Dr Sara shared her go-to summer health tips for staying healthy at this time of year.
And if there’s any concerns or uncertainties around the diagnosis, you’ll be signposted to your GP.
If your condition persists with treatment, Dr Sara suggests you see a doctor about it.
“I’d probably suggest in those cases to try and go straight to the GP if you’ve already seen the pharmacy in the first instance,” she explains.
“It’s in Pharmacy First title – that’s the first port of call, but there is always the GP as the second port of call.”
For more information on the NHS Pharmacy First Service which is available at Boots stores in England, visit boots.com/pharmacyfirst.
