Be Prepared – Your Medicines Cabinet

Check your medicine cabinet and make sure you have the following basics to hand when you need them. Any out-of-date medicines should be returned to your pharmacy.

• Painkillers (tablets and liquids), such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
• Antihistamines for allergies
• Rub-on painkilling gel
• Oral rehydration sachets
• Indigestion remedies
• Laxatives
• Anti-diarrhoea medicine
• Cream or spray to treat insect bites, stings, cuts and grazes
• Plasters and dressings

By keeping a selection of essential medications at home you can treat common conditions in a timely manner, avoid unnecessary trips to see your doctor or visits to A&E. For more information visit the NHS website www.nhs.uk/OTCmedicines

Self-Care of Common Illnesses

The team of qualified healthcare professionals at your local pharmacy can offer clinical advice to safely and effectively manage minor health concerns. 

This includes:

  • Athletes foot
  • Acute sore throat
  • Antihistamines
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Coughs, colds and nasal congestion
  • Cradle cap
  • Dandruff
  • Diarrhoea (adults)
  • Dry eyes / sore tired eyes
  • Earwax
  • Excessive sweating
  • Haemorrhoids
  • Head lice
  • Indigestion and heartburn
  • Infant colic
  • Infrequent cold sores of the lip
  • Infrequent constipation
  • Infrequent migraine
  • Insect bites and stings
  • Mild acne
  • Minor burns and scalds
  • Mild cystitis
  • Mild dry skin
  • Mild irritant dermatitis
  • Mild to moderate hay fever
  • Minor pain, discomfort and fever (e.g. aches and sprains, headache, period pain, back pain)
  • Mouth ulcers
  • Nappy rash
  • Oral thrush
  • Prevention of tooth decay
  • Ringworm
  • Sunburn
  • Sun protection
  • Teething and mild toothache
  • Threadworms
  • Travel sickness
  • Warts and verrucae

We encourage patients to self-care, when treatments are available to purchase over the counter (OTC) and/or considered to be medicines of limited clinical value. The practice will not routinely prescribe items to treat these conditions unless it is deemed to be appropriate by the prescriber.

Page last reviewed: 02 October 2020
Page created: 02 October 2020