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 Any out-of-date medicines should be returned to your pharmacy.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.