With GP practices being closed on Monday 25 December and Tuesday 26 December 2023, Ayrshire residents are being urged to check who to turn to if they need advice or support to cope with any common health concerns.
Some community pharmacists will remain open during this period (normal service will continue on both Saturday and Sunday) and can answer questions on choosing and using the right medicine and provide easy-to-understand advice on treating everyday ailments. For information about how to access a wide range of healthcare services this winter please visit the Winter Health hub on our website https://www.nhsaaa.net/services/services-a-z/winter-health-hub/. In addition, NHS 24 also has a number of pharmacists who are able to answer medicine and pharmacy-related questions over the telephone on 111 or visit NHS inform (http://www.nhsinform.scot.) for valuable advice on how to prepare this winter.
Roisin Kavanagh, Director of Pharmacy, explains: “You can do a number of things to make sure you are prepared to deal with common illnesses over the holiday weekend. Have a sufficient supply of medicines like paracetamol, sore throat and cough remedies to help relieve the symptoms of common ailments.
“If you take regular medication, you should check your existing supplies and only order what you need to see you through over the holiday weekend. It is also a good idea to make sure you know when your local GP practice and community pharmacy are closed. Please also take into consideration the time required by your local GP Practice and community pharmacy for processing prescription requests as this can add up to several days.”
Your community pharmacist can:
- prescribe medication for you following a consultation, under the Pharmacy First service
- treat many women from age 16 for urinary tract infections under the Pharmacy First service*
- treat many patients for impetigo under the Pharmacy First service*
- treat patients over 18 for skin infections including infected insect bites under the Pharmacy First service*
- treat patients over 18 for shingles under the Pharmacy First service*
- provide your repeat prescriptions when your GP is not available (under certain circumstances)
- give women advice and supply emergency hormonal contraception;
- dispense prescriptions
- give advice, support and where appropriate, prescribe nicotine replacement therapy to those giving up smoking
- hold records of your medicines to ensure that the safety of any future medication is checked
- provide a private area to discuss sensitive issues
- give you advice over the telephone; and
- give you advice on the best way to take your medicines
(*where they meet certain criteria)
Many pharmacies also offer:
- advice on travel health;
- pregnancy testing;
- collection and delivery of prescriptions;
- supervised methadone supply; and
- needle exchange.
Over Christmas, when GP practices are closed, you can still get advice from a community pharmacist or NHS 24.
Monday 25 December 2023
All pharmacies will be closed, except
East Ayrshire
- Boots Pharmacy, 9/11 St Marnock Street, Kilmarnock from11am – 1pm
- E Templeton Pharmacy, 14 Dean Street, Kilmarnock from 1pm – 3pm
North Ayrshire
- J S Shergill Pharmacy, 36 Caldon Road, Irvine from 10am – 12noon
- Irvine Pharmacy, 154/156 High Street, Irvine from 12noon – 2pm
South Ayrshire
- Rowlands Pharmacy, 29 Mount Oliphant Crescent, Ayr from 12noon – 2pm
- Well Pharmacy, 10/12 Sandgate, Ayr from 11am – 12noon
Tuesday 26 December 2023
All pharmacies will be closed, except
East Ayrshire
- Wm Morrisons Pharmacy, West Langlands Street, Kilmarnock from 12noon – 2pm
- Fenwick Pharmacy, 77 Main Road, Fenwick from 2pm – 4pm
North Ayrshire
- Penmans Pharmacy, 2 Eglinton Street, Beith from 9am – 1pm
- Boots Pharmacy, 27 Almswall Road, Kilwinning from 10am – 12noon
- Boots Pharmacy, 22/24 High Street, Irvine from 12noon – 2pm
South Ayrshire
- Wellington Square Pharmacy, 29 Wellington Square, Ayr from 12noon – 2pm
- Boots Pharmacy, 42 Main Road, Whitletts, Ayr from 2pm – 4pm
Background
- Please do not visit your community pharmacy if you have any symptoms of COVID-19. For more information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) please visit:https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19
- Help protect yourself against coronavirus and seasonal flu this winter. If you are due your COVID-19 booster and/or seasonal flu vaccine you can get it without an appointment at a local drop-in clinic from Tuesday 12 December. Please visit our website to get the latest details of drop-in vaccination opportunities: Vaccines – NHS Ayrshire & Arran (nhsaaa.net)
- More information about the winter vaccines, including eligibility and the online booking portal, is available at nhsinform.scot/wintervaccines.
- For any other health-related concerns, NHS Inform should be the first point of contact, or call your GP during opening hours. If your GP practice is closed and your query can’t wait you can still call NHS 24 (on 111).