Just like its equivalent in many other countries, the pharmacy is where you can get almost any medication you need. Your pharmacist, sometimes known as a chemist, offers three main services in the UK:

-        Provides non-prescription medicine which can help get rid of common ailments, such as coughs, colds and fevers. Non-prescription drugs are usually milder, less dangerous drugs which do not require control by a doctor.
-        Offers health advice, and
-        Will exchange your prescription (see below) for the medication you need.

First of all, to find where your nearest pharmacy is, you can use the NHS Direct website. Simply type in your postcode, or home town, and select 'pharmacies' from the drop-down list. It is better if you know your postcode because this will give you a more helpful response  the search will give you the results in order, starting with the closest pharmacy to your address.

Pharmacies can also be recognised by the very distinctive green cross, known as the 'Pharmacy Green Cross' which may be displayed on the outside of the building.

Prescriptions

If you have been to a doctor or to hospital and need some medication to cure your illness, you will not be given your drugs directly. Instead, you will be given a prescription which you have to take to a pharmacy.

A prescription is like an order form for the medication you need, which must be signed by a doctor (or authorised nurse). Prescriptions are valid for six months unless they are for controlled drugs. Controlled drugs have stricter legal controls on them to prevent them from being misused.

Because health in the UK is funded by the NHS (National Health Service), you can get prescribed medication cheaply, and in some circumstances, free of charge.

If you are currently working in the UK then you usually have to pay a standard prescription charge, which is currently £6.85 (valid in Spring 2008). This is the amount you pay for each separate item on the prescription. However, there is only one charge for multiples of the same medicine. Before you hand your prescription to the pharmacy receptionist, check that you have ticked the relevant box regarding the payment of charges. If you are working, this usually means you will pay the charges yourself.

However, if you are under 19 and in full time education, are on benefits such as Jobseekers, Allowance or income support, or are pregnant, amongst other statuses, you may not have to pay the charges.

To find out if you qualify for free treatment, visit the DirectGov website which covers all the options. If you are eligible for free prescriptions, you just need to tick the relevant exemption box on the back of the form before handing your form in at the chemist.

If you need to have medication on a repeated basis throughout the year for an ongoing illness, it may be worth paying for an advance prescription. This means you will only pay a single fee for unlimited prescriptions. It costs £26.85 for three months, or £98.70 for a year. If you do the maths, this means if you have any more than fourteen prescription items a year, this will save you money. Figures are correct in Spring 2008. You can visit the NHS Direct website to find out different ways of applying for the pre-payment certificate.

You can collect your prescription yourself or you can send a friend or relative to fetch it for you. To do this you must sign the back of the prescription in the relevant section and write in the name of the person collecting the medication on your behalf.  

Medical advice

Pharmacists are not qualified doctors, but they are experts on medication and how it works. So, they can give you advice on how to treat some common ailments and also direct you to the type of medicine they recommend. Your pharmacist can also advise on whether your condition requires a doctor.

Other services

These days, just like in most other shops in the UK, pharmacies provide much more than the service they were originally meant for. They usually have a huge selection of toiletries and household products to tempt you while you are waiting for the pharmacist to issue your prescription.

And besides this, some chemists now offer services such as blood-pressure testing, diabetes testing, asthma checks, cholesterol and heart checks etc. So it really is worth going to the pharmacy before you see a doctor if you have a problem which is of relatively minor concern.

Even if you book an appointment with your General Practitioner (doctor), it could still be worth going to the chemist for advice in the meantime, as they may just set your worries at ease.

For services relating to this subject see our "Find a..." section.

By Matt Taylor

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USEFUL WORDS

chemist = another word for pharmacy
pharmacist = the person whose job it is to prepare medicine to sell to people
prescription = an official paper on which a doctor writes the type of medicine you should have and which you give to the pharmacist in order to receive your medicine
dispensary = the place in the pharmacy where medicines are prepared
collect / pick up a prescription
prescription charge = the fee you have to pay for each medicine you receive
exemption = official permission not to do something or pay for something that you would normally have to pay for
ask the pharmacist for advice
medication
healthcare products
supplements = something added to your diet to improve or complete it (e.g. vitamin tablets)
cosmetics

GRAMMAR SPOT

Words meaning 'Or' Use or to express an alternative:

You can take paracetamol or ibuprofen
We can go to the local pharmacy, or we can wait until we get to the high street

Alternatively can also be used:

You can take some syrup for your cough.  Alternatively, you can suck a pastille

Either…or is more emphatic than or on its own:

You’ll have to go either to the doctor or to the pharmacist
I’ve either got a bad cold or flu
Either we give you some medication now, or we wait and see if you feel better tomorrow

Or can mean ‘if not’.  We can also use or else or otherwise.
We’d better go now, (or) else we’ll be late
Put the prescription somewhere safe, otherwise you’ll lose it