Minor Ailments

Each year, around 1.2 million people visit their GP with a sore throat, with many requesting antibiotics. Did you know that 9 out of 10 sore throats are because of a virus and cannot be treated by antibiotics, but with over the counter products from your pharmacy?

Antibiotics are key in fighting bacterial infections. These infections can be serious. In order for them to maintain their efficacy it is important that you only take antibiotics when you need them and have been instructed to by your Doctor. Your O'Briens Pharmacist can help you to manage your sore throat symptoms, so,  if you have a sore throat, speak to your local O'Briens pharmacist first.

Our O'Briens Pharmacies will now be able to provide a short 10-minute sore throat consultation service. If necessary, this may include access to a swab test which could identify whether your sore throat is bacterial or viral and whether antibiotics maybe required. If your sore throat can’t be treated by antibiotics, the Pharmacist will be able to provide advice on the most effective ways to manage your symptoms.

The short 10-minute sore throat consultation will involve the following stages:

• Once you have informed the Pharmacist that you have a sore throat and feel unwell, they will complete an initial assessment to see if you have signs of a viral infection
• They will then take you through a questionnaire relating to your symptoms and will look at the back of your throat for any signs of inflammation or obvious white marks
• If they suspect that you may have a bacterial infection and require antibiotics, they will then complete a simple and pain free swab test on the back of the throat
• After 5 minutes, the swab test will reveal whether you are suffering with a viral or bacterial infection. Please note: not all bacterial strains can be identified
• If the swab test results indicate a bacterial infection you may require antibiotics, your pharmacist can provide these for you if indicated, to help with the treatment of your sore throat.
• If the swab test result is negative and you don’t require antibiotics, the Pharmacist will recommend alternative treatment options to help alleviate some of the symptoms being experienced
• The Pharmacist will stress that if the sore throat gets worse or symptoms don’t alleviate after 3 days then you should see your GP

Dermatitis is a common skin condition and while you may already purchase non-prescription treatments in the pharmacy, our O'Briens pharmacists can now offer a more comprehensive dermatitis service and when appropriate offer betamethasone steroid cream, which provides a stronger potency compared to over the counter hydrocortisone preparations.

After a short consultation, we will assess your condition and advise on a suitable treatment plan. If appropriate we can supply betamethasone cream which is a potent steroid usually only available on prescription.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) and cystitis, are an inflammation of the bladder which is usually caused by a bacterial infection. It can be uncomfortable but is usually easy to treat. The symptoms are a burning or stinging feeling when passing urine, the need to pass urine suddenly or more often than usual, cloudy urine and pain low down in your tummy.

This service allows you be tested for a urinary tract infection and to get treatment without having to see your GP. is for women, aged 16 to 64, who have symptoms of an uncomplicated lower UTI, such as burning pain when passing urine, cloudy urine, or needing to pass urine more often than usual.

If you have severe symptoms, have signs of a kidney infection (such as back pain) or if you feel unwell (such as if you have a high temperature or flu-like symptoms), we will recommend you speak to your GP.

Nausea is stomach discomfort and the sensation of wanting to vomit. The condition has many causes. Your pharmacist can advise you how to reduce your nausea and provide medication to ease your symptoms without the need for a GP appointment.

Ear ache is very common, particularly in children. An ear ache can be a sharp, dull, or burning pain that can range from mild to very painful. As the ear is involved in our hearing and our balance, problems with the ear may cause other symptoms such as loss of hearing, dizziness or a ringing in the ear. There are many causes of ear ache but the most common cause is infection.
Your pharmacist can provide self care advice on and treatment to ease the symptoms of ear ache without having to see a GP. 

1 in 4 people in the UK are affected by hay fever. Hay fever is your immune system response to pollens and grasses, symptoms can include sneezing, an itchy or runny nose, itchy eyes and sometimes a wheezy cough.
The pharmacist can offer you advice on how to protect yourself from hay fever and give you medication to relieve the symptoms of hay fever without the need for a GP appointment.

Hives are an itchy rash with red or white bumps on the skin. In some cases the rash is triggered by a physical stimulus such as pressure, friction, sweating, cold, heat, sunlight and water.
The pharmacist can advise you triggers to avoid, how to reduce the symptoms of hives and give you medication without the need for a GP appointment.