About Us
We are an independent multi award-winning NHS Community Pharmacy which has been dispensing all the best health and wellbeing services since 1953. We provide the core traditional services but with a modern twist as we offer over 15 NHS or private clinical services.
You and your family are at the centre of our health and well-thy philosophy. We are partners in your healthcare and we believe in a holistic approach, providing individualised care and independent living. The whole team will treat any information you provide with care, utmost confidentiality and anonymity.
We won't share your details with anyone, not even with your GP, without your consent. and we even have a soundproofed, consultation room for privacy. Please ask any of us for further details. If there's a Richter scale for effort and permanently doing our best, we'd be an earth-shattering ten!
If you’re between 40 and 74 and live in the UK, you should have a health check which we can do at our pharmacy for a nominal charge.
The health check should take around 30 minutes. A healthcare professional, will ask you a series of simple questions about your lifestyle and family history. The check is nothing to worry about and you won’t be asked any embarrassing questions or need to remove clothing.
You can also expect:
- A blood pressure test
- Your weight and height measured
- A finger prick blood test for your blood sugar levels
- AV check-this is a check of your heart using a mobile EEG monitor
The Health Check focuses on:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Strokes
- Kidney disease
If you are over 65, you will also be told the signs of dementia to look out for.
After your blood pressure test, sugar level test and BMI results, the Pharmacist will be happy to offer lifestyle advice or suggest you visit your GP, if needed. They might offer ideas on how to:
- Improve your diet
- Increase your levels or frequency of physical exercise
Realising you have a problem with alcohol is the first big step to getting help.
You may need help if:
- you often feel the need to have a drink
- you get into trouble because of your drinking
- other people warn you about how much you're drinking
- you think your drinking is causing you problems
Getting the right support can be crucial to maintaining control in the future. Only relying on family, friends or carers for this often is not enough.
Ask our Pharmacist about what longer term support is available in your area. Self-help or mutual aid groups (groups such as AA or SMART Recovery groups) are accessible in most areas.
Salbutamol Inhaler without a prescription or needing to see your GP
Check your blood pressure
The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test.
All adults over 40 are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every 5 years. Getting this done is easy and could save your life.
You can get your blood pressure tested at a number of places, including at our pharmacies. If you've not been diagnosed with high blood pressure and would like to get yours checked, contact or visit one of our branches.
If we find any potential signs of high blood pressure, we will refer you to your GP for further investigation and treatment if appropriate.
Blood glucose tests, which can be conducted in our pharmacy through a simple blood test, measure the amount of glucose in your blood. Glucose is a simple sugar that provides energy for the body. The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach). When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it's broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there's either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced doesn't work properly.
Although there are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is often linked to being overweight.
Body composition is a simple test that measures your body mass index, body fat, skeletal muscle percentages and waist circumference. A body composition test is one way to determine if your weight is healthy for your height since being overweight can strain your heart and lead to serious health problems.
A body composition test is recommended for everyone to for better insight into their health. Body composition testing is available at our Pharmacy for patients 18 and over.
The C-card scheme gives young people quick and easy access to condoms. It also offers a safe environment where it is easy to seek advice and information about sexual health topics and relationships. C-card is a free and confidential service for people under a certain age (please check with the pharmacy). You don't even need to be sexually active. If you are thinking about having sex you can register and be ready. * Only available if commissioned in accordance with a local agreement.
We recommend that all adults should get a cholesterol check – no matter what your age or how healthy you feel.
Your cholesterol levels depend on your genes as well as your lifestyle, so the only way to know your cholesterol numbers is to get a check.
You can have your cholesterol tested in our pharmacy using a simple blood test. This is often a finger prick test, it’s quick, you only feel a small pinch, and the results can be checked there and then. Or, you might have a small blood sample taken from your arm using a needle and syringe, you will get the result immediately.
Community Pharmacy Consultation Service (CPCS)
Prescription strength Otomize Ear Spray for ear infections without needing to see your GP
No appointments needed, easily accessible location and just a quick consultation, we ensure a hassle free service to all our patients. Simply walk in and ask to speak to our friendly and professional pharmacist about the morning after pill.
Our pharmacist will need to see the person that the emergency contraception is intended for, and will need to ask a few questions regarding the patients’ medical history. This is done in the privacy of our consultation room and everything discussed is in complete confidence. The sooner you come to our pharmacy to take the morning after pill, the greater the chances of avoiding pregnancy.
If the Pharmacist feels like Levonelle One Step is not suitable for you, they will not give you the morning after pill, but advise you to see your health care professional.
We are one of the few pharmacies that are able to provide the morning after pill free of charge to patients who are aged 24 and under, and who meet the NHS criteria. Alternatively, the pill can be purchased privately from our pharmacy.
About Emergency Contraception (Levonelle One Step) -
When it comes to sex, even if you’ve taken precautions, sometimes things don’t quite go to plan. Accidents happen with contraception and things go wrong all the time. You may even just be worried that your contraceptive pill hasn’t worked. If you’ve had unprotected sex or you’re worried about contraception failure, here is some of the information you need to know about Levonelle One Step -
- Levonelle One Step is an emergency contraceptive that can be used within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex or if your contraceptive method has failed.
- There is one white tablet in the pack and it is most effective when taken within the first 12 hours
- The tablet contains a hormone called Levonorgestrel.
- Levonelle One Step is thought to work by stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg or by preventing sperm from fertilising any egg that may have already been released
- If you are over 16 you can get Levonelle One Step over the counter at our Pharmacy
- If you are under 16 you cannot buy Levonelle One Step at the Pharmacy, you need to visit your GP or a Walk-In centre
- Levonelle One Step works to prevent a pregnancy becoming established, it does not work if you are already pregnant
- You should only use Levonelle One Step in emergencies, not as a regular form of contraception
Please note, there are other emergency contraceptive options available through your doctor or at a Walk-In centre.
If you do have any questions or require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Erection problems (impotence) are very common, particularly in men over 40. It's usually nothing to worry about, but you should see a GP if it keeps happening.
Most men occasionally fail to get or keep an erection. Causes of erection problems can be stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol, and it's nothing to worry about.
If it happens more often, it may be caused by physical or emotional problems.
Medicine such as sildenafil is often used by doctors to treat erectile dysfunction. It is also available from our pharmacy. You no longer need a prescription to get sildenafil. You can have a private consultation with our pharmacist to make sure it's safe for you to take it.
Make life easier for yourself and let us order your prescription on your behalf. Simply let us know what repeat medicines you need, a few days before they run out and we will arrange to collect it from your Doctor's surgery.
Every year many hundreds of travellers from the UK catch malaria and in tens of cases it is fatal. Symptoms can start rapidly. The correct anti-malarial medication is essential. We offer a Private Malaria Prevention Service. After a confidential assessment by a trained Pharmacist, the correct anti-malarial medication is supplied and appropriate advice given to the patient.
The Medication Care and Review (MCR) service, formerly known as CMS, is a serial prescription service. Register with Lightburn Pharmacy to have your regular repeat medication dispensed and ready for you to collect.
A serial prescription is a prescription for medicines you need to treat your long-term condition (your repeat medication).
It looks like a normal prescription but lasts for 24 or 48 weeks.
With a serial prescription, you can get your repeat medicines directly from the pharmacy where you are registered.
You won’t need to see or phone the Doctor to request your medication.
Serial prescriptions last for either 24 or 48 weeks and Lightburn Pharmacy will dispense it in instalments (either every month or every 2 months depending on your GP’s instructions).
The Pharmacy will have your prescription ready for you when you need it, so you don’t have to wait in the pharmacy.
The Pharmacy will keep your serial prescription in the Pharmacy.
Ask at the Pharmacy to be registered and speak to your GP to issue you with a serial prescription rather than a standard repeat prescription, your GP will assess your suitability.
Don’t be running around the houses to get your prescription, no more phoning your GP every month to get your prescriptions, no more waiting to get your regular prescription dispensed. Lightburn Pharmacy will comprehensively manage your serial prescriptions, please contact us to get registered today.
Your Prescription ready when you are.
This is an opportunity for our pharmacist to discuss and review the medicines you are taking to ensure you are using them correctly and getting the maximum benefit. We will explain clearly and simply, without any medical jargon, what they are for and the conditions they treat and identify any possible side effects that you may be experiencing. We will listen to you and any problems you are having with your medicines, provide advice and support and if necessary contact your Doctor to discuss any issues that arise from our conversation.
An MUR can help:
- improve your understanding of the medicines you are taking;
- highlight problematic side effects and propose solutions where appropriate;
- improve adherence
- reduce medicines wastage, usually by helping you only order the medicines you need
Our pharmacist may be able to conduct an MUR over the telephone or for eligible patient
Norethisterone to delay menstruation without seeing the GP
It is important that you take the right dose of your prescribed medicines at the right time each day to get the most from your medicines to control your condition(s) as much as possible. This can sometimes be difficult if you take more than one medicine. One way in which this can be made easier is for your medicines to be supplied in a Monitored Dosage System, which provides you with a separate compartment for each dosage time of the day.
A monitored dosage system (MDS) is a medication storage device designed to simplify the administration of solid oral dose medication, especially for those on multiple medications. It aims to address the issues of difficulty accessing medication due to sight impairment or other disability and/or forgetfulness.
MDS devices are usually a variation on the design of a box or a blister pack, divided into days of the week with several compartments per day to allow for the different timing of doses such as breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime.
Our Pharmacist can help identify which patients this type of system would be suitable for.
MDS may be suitable for patients in the following circumstances:
- You struggle to organise medications and find it difficult to remember to take them at the correct time each day
- You have a large number of medications to take each day
- You find it difficult to remove medication from its packaging
- You have a carer who helps you to ensure you take your medicines correctly.
Ask a member of our pharmacy team about whether this service would benefit you or whether there is another course of action, which may be of more help.
You can have a free NHS flu Jab at our pharmacy:
• If you are 50 years of age or over before 31 March 2022
• If you are pregnant
• If you are a carer
If you have certain medical conditions including:
• Asthma
• Chronic Respiratory Disease
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
• Liver Disease
• Neurological Disease
A nebuliser is a drug delivery device used to administer medication in the form of a mist inhaled via a full-face mask or nasal cannula into the lungs. Nebulisers are used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, asthma, COPD and other respiratory diseases and disorders.
We stock a range of nebulisers to fit any budget. Please speak to our Pharmacist who can advise you.
We provide a needle exchange service where intravenous drug users can obtain clean sterile needles and syringes and safely dispose of used needles and syringes.
This service is designed to prevent people sharing or re using needles. It also reduces drug related harm and the transmission of blood borne bacterial and viral infections such as hepatitis B and C or HIV.
The service is lead by our Pharmacist in a non-judgemental manner and may lead to the user being referred to an appropriate drug treatment programme i.e. opioid substitute treatment in order to stop drug usage . Our Pharmacist can also advise on minimising the harms caused by drugs and suggest further support and help.
When you are prescribed a new medicine by your doctor our pharmacists can offer support and advice to ensure you take the new medication as prescribed without suffering any unwanted side effects or explain any further questions you may have. We usually do this by keeping in contact with you during the first 4 weeks of your new medicine being prescribed.
The service is only available for people living in England, and only for those who have been prescribed a new medicine for the conditions listed:
- asthma
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- type 2 diabetes
- high blood pressure
- people who have been given a new blood-thinning medicine
The NMS can help:
- improve your adherence (taking your medicines correctly) which will generally lead to better health outcomes
- increase your engagement with your condition and medicines, supporting you to make decisions about your treatment and self-management
- reduce medicines wastage
- reduce hospital admissions due to adverse events from medicines
We care about your long term health and if you are a smoker who wants to quit, but think you need help to kick the habit, our award winning Stop Smoking Service might be just what you are looking for. We have had many successes over the years and wish to help you kick the habit.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable deaths accounting for more than 80,000 deaths each year. One in two smokers will die from a smoking related disease. If you could see the damage you would stop.
Circulation
When you smoke, the poisons from the tar in your cigarettes enter your blood. These poisons in your blood then:
- Make your blood thicker, and increase chances of clot formation
- Increase your blood pressure and heart rate, making your hear work harder than normal
- Narrow your arteries, reducing the amount of oxygen rick blood circulating in your organs.
Together these changes to your body when you smoke increase the chance of your arteries narrowing and clots forming which could lead to heart attack and stroke.
Stomach
Smokers have an increased chance of getting stomach cancer or ulcers. Smoking is a significant risk factor for developing kidney cancer and the more you smoke the greater the risk.
Skin
Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to your skin. This means your skin ages more quickly and looks grey and dull. The toxins in your body also cause cellulite. Smoking prematurely ages your skin by between 10 and 20 years increasing wrinkling particularly around the eyes and mouth. The only way to prevent further deterioration is to stop smoking.
Bones
Smoking can cause your bones to become weak and brittle predisposing to brittle bones (osteoporosis).
Brain
Smokers are more likely to have a stroke than someone who doesn’t smoke. Within two years of stopping smoking your risk of stoke is reduced to half that of a smoker and within five years it will be the same as a non-smoker.
Lungs
Your lungs can be very badly affected by smoking. Coughs, colds, wheezing and asthma are just the start. Smoking can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia emphysema, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. You can slow down the progression of some of the diseases by stopping smoking.
Mouth and throat
Smoking causes unattractive problems such as bad breath and stained teeth and can cause gum disease and damage your taste.
Services we offer include:
- Complete and effective ordering of Medication and Appliances
- Fast and efficient Delivery Service
- Safe Storage of Medication
- Thorough Record Keeping for any Audit purposes
- Highly trained and experienced staff who understand the demands of a Nursing/Care home
- Medicines Use Review for your residents
- Help with training and development of your staff
We provide a palliative care service. Palliative care drugs can sometimes be required quickly and this service ensures that there is appropriate access to a range of palliative care drugs, particularly outside of normal opening hours, and when treatment is needed urgently.
Many of the drugs used in palliative care are not usually used for other conditions and are often not stocked in community pharmacies. As a palliative care service provider we hold a stock of palliative care drugs for when needed right away. The service is suitable for patients receiving palliative care and those providing their care.
We keep records of all your prescriptions dispensed by us as well as records of other services we provide to you. This helps us check for possible problems, such as reactions between medicines and will help us deal with any queries you may have. Our computer allows us to keep these records. We are registered with The Information Commissioners Office and comply with the Data Protection Act and the NHS code of practice on confidentiality. If you want to discuss the records we keep, please ask to speak to a member of staff or the pharmacist.
How can I delay my period?
There's no guaranteed way to delay your period, but it may be possible if you take the combined contraceptive pill. If you take a combined contraceptive pill, you can delay your period by taking 2 packets back-to-back.
How you do this will depend on which pill you take. Examples are:
- monophasic 21-day pills, such as Microgynon and Cilest – you take a combined pill for 21 days, followed by 7 days without pills, when you have a bleed (period). To delay your period, start a new packet of pills straight after you finish the last pill and miss out the 7-day break.
- everyday (ED) pills, such as Microgynon ED and Lorynon ED – you take a combined pill every day. The first 21 pills are active pills and the next 7 pills are inactive or dummy pills, when you have your period. To delay your period, miss out and throw away the dummy pills, and start the active pills in a new packet straight away.
- phasic 21-day pills, such as Binovium, Qlaira and Logynon – the mix of hormones in each pill is different, depending on which phase you're in. You need to take these pills in the correct order to have effective contraception. Ask your pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP for more information.
Taking your contraceptive pills in the ways described above will not affect how they work as contraceptives. If you're not sure which pill you're on or which pills in the packet to miss out, speak to our pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP.
Avoid taking more than 2 packs without a break, unless your GP says you can.
There's a risk you could experience side effects, such as:
- feeling sick
- being sick
- diarrhoea
- unexpected vaginal bleeding
Progestogen-only contraceptive pill
If you're taking a progestogen-only contraceptive pill, you cannot delay your period by taking 2 packets back-to-back. You may be able to switch to the combined contraceptive pill or take another medication to delay your period. If you're not sure which type of pill you're taking, speak to our pharmacist.
If you do not take a contraceptive pill
See your GP for advice if you want to delay your period and you're not taking the combined contraceptive pill.
After consultation our pharmacists are able to prescribe medication called norethisterone to delay your period, you will be advised you when to take norethisterone and for how long. You'll usually be prescribed 3 norethisterone tablets a day, starting 3 to 4 days before you expect your period to begin. Your period should arrive 2 to 3 days after you stop taking the medication. Please note, Norethisterone does not act as a contraceptive when used in this way, so you could still get pregnant. You'll need to use another type of contraceptive, such as a condom. Norethisterone may not be suitable if you have a history of blood clots.
How well it works in delaying periods also varies between women. Some women taking norethisterone have reported side effects, such as:
- breast tenderness
- nausea
- breast tenderness
- nausea
- headache
- disturbances in mood and sex drive
- headache
- disturbances in mood and sex drive
Switching to, or starting, the combined contraceptive pill
If you currently use another type of contraception, switching to the combined contraceptive pill will allow you to delay your period. You may also be able to start taking the combined pill if you do not already use contraception. You may need to start taking this pill several weeks before the time when you want to delay your period, and it's not suitable for everyone. If you're switching to or starting the combined contraceptive pill, you might need to use additional contraception during the first few days of taking it.
Ask our pharmacist for more information and advice.
You can carry out most pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period. If you don't know when your next period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.
Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period, from as early as 8 days after conception.
You can do a pregnancy test in our pharmacy on a sample of urine collected at any time of the day. It doesn't have to be in the morning.
This service is confidential.
We recommend you consider getting a flub jab If you don't qualify for an NHS vaccination but are:
- susceptible to colds and chest infections
- are self employed and unable to afford time off work
- would like to protect yourself from flu during peak season
This service is available on a walk in basis without an appointment and there is a charge but please call the pharmacy first.
Sore throats are very common and usually nothing to worry about. They normally get better by themselves within a week.In our pharmacy we can do a test for a sore throat and consult for water infection and give antibiotics if appropriate-saving you an appointment with the GP.
How to treat a sore throat yourself
To help soothe a sore throat and shorten how long it lasts you can:
- gargle with warm salty water (children shouldn't try this)
- drink plenty of water – but avoid hot drinks
- eat cool or soft foods
- avoid smoking or smoky places
- suck ice cubes, ice lollies or hard sweets – but don't give young children anything small and hard to suck because of the risk of choking
- rest
To help relieve the pain and discomfort of a sore throat you can:
- use paracetamol or ibuprofen
- use medicated lozenges or anaesthetic sprays (although there is little evidence they help)
You can buy them from our pharmacy without a prescription.
Antibiotic tonsillitis treatment without a prescription or seeing your GP
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats we have ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year around the world. According to the NHS, in the UK alone, smoking kills over 80,000 people every year and a further 500,000 people are admitted into hospital as a direct result of smoking.
Smoking has been linked to countless conditions from depression, infertility and asthma, to the more serious conditions such as lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease. It’s really not surprising that this is the case when you consider how many harmful substances there are in a cigarette. They have thousands of different chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic (cancer causing), and examples of others being acetone (used as nail polish remover), lead and cadmium (a highly toxic metal.)
The truth of the matter is, we all know how bad smoking is for our health, and a majority of smokers will say that they want to quit but giving up can be hard. Especially without the right help and support. That’s where our friendly and professional staff come in!
There is now more support than ever before, not just in the form of information, but also products designed to reduce cravings and to fight off any of the horrible withdrawal symptoms. One of the developments has been the introduction of Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT.) There are a variety of NRT products available:
- Patches
- Gum
- Inhalators
- Mouth Sprays
- Nasal Sprays
- Tablets
- Lozenges
Smoking is addictive because of the nicotine in cigarettes. That is why it is hard to quit. By starting one or even a combination of the above therapies, they will give a smoker a dose of nicotine in their blood. This reduces the nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings, whilst they break away from the psychological habit of smoking.
Our staff can advise you on the best way to kick your smoking habit. By coming in to our store our trained pharmacist will provide you with a free consultation, asking you questions such as how many cigarettes you smoke in a day and what triggers the need for a cigarette etc. By determining your ‘level of nicotine addiction’ the pharmacist will then be able to offer their advice on what they think would work best for you.
The pharmacist may even offer advice in other forms, for example, letting you know about any local support groups, advising you to take up a hobby or even suggesting a routine to start you off.
The benefit of having this support is that we are there 7 days a week whenever you need help, or even just a friendly professional to speak with. It is a proven fact that if you receive support while trying to stop smoking your chance for success is greatly increased.
We can provide a supervised consumption service, usually in the private consultation room in the pharmacy.
We provide a vaccination service and a range of vaccinations are available, please contact the pharmacy for further details.
We stock a popular range of vitamins and supplements aimed at nutrition, and women's and men's health.
We can offer weight management help. Pharmacists are ideally placed to help you manage your weight as they already provide many health services to customers, including stop smoking services, blood pressure and cholesterol measurements and general advice on nutrition and healthy living. Pharmacists also know when a weight problem can be managed in the pharmacy and when there is a medical problem that needs co-operation with the doctor.
Ask us for advice on how to get started.
If you’re between 40 and 74 and live in the UK, you should have a health check which we can do at our pharmacy for a nominal charge.
The health check should take around 30 minutes. A healthcare professional, will ask you a series of simple questions about your lifestyle and family history. The check is nothing to worry about and you won’t be asked any embarrassing questions or need to remove clothing.
You can also expect:
- A blood pressure test
- Your weight and height measured
- A finger prick blood test for your blood sugar levels
- AV check-this is a check of your heart using a mobile EEG monitor
The Health Check focuses on:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Strokes
- Kidney disease
If you are over 65, you will also be told the signs of dementia to look out for.
After your blood pressure test, sugar level test and BMI results, the Pharmacist will be happy to offer lifestyle advice or suggest you visit your GP, if needed. They might offer ideas on how to:
- Improve your diet
- Increase your levels or frequency of physical exercise
Realising you have a problem with alcohol is the first big step to getting help.
You may need help if:
- you often feel the need to have a drink
- you get into trouble because of your drinking
- other people warn you about how much you're drinking
- you think your drinking is causing you problems
Getting the right support can be crucial to maintaining control in the future. Only relying on family, friends or carers for this often is not enough.
Ask our Pharmacist about what longer term support is available in your area. Self-help or mutual aid groups (groups such as AA or SMART Recovery groups) are accessible in most areas.
Salbutamol Inhaler without a prescription or needing to see your GP
Check your blood pressure
The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test.
All adults over 40 are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every 5 years. Getting this done is easy and could save your life.
You can get your blood pressure tested at a number of places, including at our pharmacies. If you've not been diagnosed with high blood pressure and would like to get yours checked, contact or visit one of our branches.
If we find any potential signs of high blood pressure, we will refer you to your GP for further investigation and treatment if appropriate.
Blood glucose tests, which can be conducted in our pharmacy through a simple blood test, measure the amount of glucose in your blood. Glucose is a simple sugar that provides energy for the body. The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach). When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it's broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there's either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced doesn't work properly.
Although there are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is often linked to being overweight.
Body composition is a simple test that measures your body mass index, body fat, skeletal muscle percentages and waist circumference. A body composition test is one way to determine if your weight is healthy for your height since being overweight can strain your heart and lead to serious health problems.
A body composition test is recommended for everyone to for better insight into their health. Body composition testing is available at our Pharmacy for patients 18 and over.
The C-card scheme gives young people quick and easy access to condoms. It also offers a safe environment where it is easy to seek advice and information about sexual health topics and relationships. C-card is a free and confidential service for people under a certain age (please check with the pharmacy). You don't even need to be sexually active. If you are thinking about having sex you can register and be ready. * Only available if commissioned in accordance with a local agreement.
We recommend that all adults should get a cholesterol check – no matter what your age or how healthy you feel.
Your cholesterol levels depend on your genes as well as your lifestyle, so the only way to know your cholesterol numbers is to get a check.
You can have your cholesterol tested in our pharmacy using a simple blood test. This is often a finger prick test, it’s quick, you only feel a small pinch, and the results can be checked there and then. Or, you might have a small blood sample taken from your arm using a needle and syringe, you will get the result immediately.
Community Pharmacy Consultation Service (CPCS)
Prescription strength Otomize Ear Spray for ear infections without needing to see your GP
No appointments needed, easily accessible location and just a quick consultation, we ensure a hassle free service to all our patients. Simply walk in and ask to speak to our friendly and professional pharmacist about the morning after pill.
Our pharmacist will need to see the person that the emergency contraception is intended for, and will need to ask a few questions regarding the patients’ medical history. This is done in the privacy of our consultation room and everything discussed is in complete confidence. The sooner you come to our pharmacy to take the morning after pill, the greater the chances of avoiding pregnancy.
If the Pharmacist feels like Levonelle One Step is not suitable for you, they will not give you the morning after pill, but advise you to see your health care professional.
We are one of the few pharmacies that are able to provide the morning after pill free of charge to patients who are aged 24 and under, and who meet the NHS criteria. Alternatively, the pill can be purchased privately from our pharmacy.
About Emergency Contraception (Levonelle One Step) -
When it comes to sex, even if you’ve taken precautions, sometimes things don’t quite go to plan. Accidents happen with contraception and things go wrong all the time. You may even just be worried that your contraceptive pill hasn’t worked. If you’ve had unprotected sex or you’re worried about contraception failure, here is some of the information you need to know about Levonelle One Step -
- Levonelle One Step is an emergency contraceptive that can be used within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex or if your contraceptive method has failed.
- There is one white tablet in the pack and it is most effective when taken within the first 12 hours
- The tablet contains a hormone called Levonorgestrel.
- Levonelle One Step is thought to work by stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg or by preventing sperm from fertilising any egg that may have already been released
- If you are over 16 you can get Levonelle One Step over the counter at our Pharmacy
- If you are under 16 you cannot buy Levonelle One Step at the Pharmacy, you need to visit your GP or a Walk-In centre
- Levonelle One Step works to prevent a pregnancy becoming established, it does not work if you are already pregnant
- You should only use Levonelle One Step in emergencies, not as a regular form of contraception
Please note, there are other emergency contraceptive options available through your doctor or at a Walk-In centre.
If you do have any questions or require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Erection problems (impotence) are very common, particularly in men over 40. It's usually nothing to worry about, but you should see a GP if it keeps happening.
Most men occasionally fail to get or keep an erection. Causes of erection problems can be stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol, and it's nothing to worry about.
If it happens more often, it may be caused by physical or emotional problems.
Medicine such as sildenafil is often used by doctors to treat erectile dysfunction. It is also available from our pharmacy. You no longer need a prescription to get sildenafil. You can have a private consultation with our pharmacist to make sure it's safe for you to take it.
Make life easier for yourself and let us order your prescription on your behalf. Simply let us know what repeat medicines you need, a few days before they run out and we will arrange to collect it from your Doctor's surgery.
Every year many hundreds of travellers from the UK catch malaria and in tens of cases it is fatal. Symptoms can start rapidly. The correct anti-malarial medication is essential. We offer a Private Malaria Prevention Service. After a confidential assessment by a trained Pharmacist, the correct anti-malarial medication is supplied and appropriate advice given to the patient.
The Medication Care and Review (MCR) service, formerly known as CMS, is a serial prescription service. Register with Lightburn Pharmacy to have your regular repeat medication dispensed and ready for you to collect.
A serial prescription is a prescription for medicines you need to treat your long-term condition (your repeat medication).
It looks like a normal prescription but lasts for 24 or 48 weeks.
With a serial prescription, you can get your repeat medicines directly from the pharmacy where you are registered.
You won’t need to see or phone the Doctor to request your medication.
Serial prescriptions last for either 24 or 48 weeks and Lightburn Pharmacy will dispense it in instalments (either every month or every 2 months depending on your GP’s instructions).
The Pharmacy will have your prescription ready for you when you need it, so you don’t have to wait in the pharmacy.
The Pharmacy will keep your serial prescription in the Pharmacy.
Ask at the Pharmacy to be registered and speak to your GP to issue you with a serial prescription rather than a standard repeat prescription, your GP will assess your suitability.
Don’t be running around the houses to get your prescription, no more phoning your GP every month to get your prescriptions, no more waiting to get your regular prescription dispensed. Lightburn Pharmacy will comprehensively manage your serial prescriptions, please contact us to get registered today.
Your Prescription ready when you are.
This is an opportunity for our pharmacist to discuss and review the medicines you are taking to ensure you are using them correctly and getting the maximum benefit. We will explain clearly and simply, without any medical jargon, what they are for and the conditions they treat and identify any possible side effects that you may be experiencing. We will listen to you and any problems you are having with your medicines, provide advice and support and if necessary contact your Doctor to discuss any issues that arise from our conversation.
An MUR can help:
- improve your understanding of the medicines you are taking;
- highlight problematic side effects and propose solutions where appropriate;
- improve adherence
- reduce medicines wastage, usually by helping you only order the medicines you need
Our pharmacist may be able to conduct an MUR over the telephone or for eligible patient
Norethisterone to delay menstruation without seeing the GP
It is important that you take the right dose of your prescribed medicines at the right time each day to get the most from your medicines to control your condition(s) as much as possible. This can sometimes be difficult if you take more than one medicine. One way in which this can be made easier is for your medicines to be supplied in a Monitored Dosage System, which provides you with a separate compartment for each dosage time of the day.
A monitored dosage system (MDS) is a medication storage device designed to simplify the administration of solid oral dose medication, especially for those on multiple medications. It aims to address the issues of difficulty accessing medication due to sight impairment or other disability and/or forgetfulness.
MDS devices are usually a variation on the design of a box or a blister pack, divided into days of the week with several compartments per day to allow for the different timing of doses such as breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime.
Our Pharmacist can help identify which patients this type of system would be suitable for.
MDS may be suitable for patients in the following circumstances:
- You struggle to organise medications and find it difficult to remember to take them at the correct time each day
- You have a large number of medications to take each day
- You find it difficult to remove medication from its packaging
- You have a carer who helps you to ensure you take your medicines correctly.
Ask a member of our pharmacy team about whether this service would benefit you or whether there is another course of action, which may be of more help.
You can have a free NHS flu Jab at our pharmacy:
• If you are 50 years of age or over before 31 March 2022
• If you are pregnant
• If you are a carer
If you have certain medical conditions including:
• Asthma
• Chronic Respiratory Disease
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease
• Liver Disease
• Neurological Disease
A nebuliser is a drug delivery device used to administer medication in the form of a mist inhaled via a full-face mask or nasal cannula into the lungs. Nebulisers are used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, asthma, COPD and other respiratory diseases and disorders.
We stock a range of nebulisers to fit any budget. Please speak to our Pharmacist who can advise you.
We provide a needle exchange service where intravenous drug users can obtain clean sterile needles and syringes and safely dispose of used needles and syringes.
This service is designed to prevent people sharing or re using needles. It also reduces drug related harm and the transmission of blood borne bacterial and viral infections such as hepatitis B and C or HIV.
The service is lead by our Pharmacist in a non-judgemental manner and may lead to the user being referred to an appropriate drug treatment programme i.e. opioid substitute treatment in order to stop drug usage . Our Pharmacist can also advise on minimising the harms caused by drugs and suggest further support and help.
When you are prescribed a new medicine by your doctor our pharmacists can offer support and advice to ensure you take the new medication as prescribed without suffering any unwanted side effects or explain any further questions you may have. We usually do this by keeping in contact with you during the first 4 weeks of your new medicine being prescribed.
The service is only available for people living in England, and only for those who have been prescribed a new medicine for the conditions listed:
- asthma
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- type 2 diabetes
- high blood pressure
- people who have been given a new blood-thinning medicine
The NMS can help:
- improve your adherence (taking your medicines correctly) which will generally lead to better health outcomes
- increase your engagement with your condition and medicines, supporting you to make decisions about your treatment and self-management
- reduce medicines wastage
- reduce hospital admissions due to adverse events from medicines
We care about your long term health and if you are a smoker who wants to quit, but think you need help to kick the habit, our award winning Stop Smoking Service might be just what you are looking for. We have had many successes over the years and wish to help you kick the habit.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable deaths accounting for more than 80,000 deaths each year. One in two smokers will die from a smoking related disease. If you could see the damage you would stop.
Circulation
When you smoke, the poisons from the tar in your cigarettes enter your blood. These poisons in your blood then:
- Make your blood thicker, and increase chances of clot formation
- Increase your blood pressure and heart rate, making your hear work harder than normal
- Narrow your arteries, reducing the amount of oxygen rick blood circulating in your organs.
Together these changes to your body when you smoke increase the chance of your arteries narrowing and clots forming which could lead to heart attack and stroke.
Stomach
Smokers have an increased chance of getting stomach cancer or ulcers. Smoking is a significant risk factor for developing kidney cancer and the more you smoke the greater the risk.
Skin
Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to your skin. This means your skin ages more quickly and looks grey and dull. The toxins in your body also cause cellulite. Smoking prematurely ages your skin by between 10 and 20 years increasing wrinkling particularly around the eyes and mouth. The only way to prevent further deterioration is to stop smoking.
Bones
Smoking can cause your bones to become weak and brittle predisposing to brittle bones (osteoporosis).
Brain
Smokers are more likely to have a stroke than someone who doesn’t smoke. Within two years of stopping smoking your risk of stoke is reduced to half that of a smoker and within five years it will be the same as a non-smoker.
Lungs
Your lungs can be very badly affected by smoking. Coughs, colds, wheezing and asthma are just the start. Smoking can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia emphysema, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. You can slow down the progression of some of the diseases by stopping smoking.
Mouth and throat
Smoking causes unattractive problems such as bad breath and stained teeth and can cause gum disease and damage your taste.
Services we offer include:
- Complete and effective ordering of Medication and Appliances
- Fast and efficient Delivery Service
- Safe Storage of Medication
- Thorough Record Keeping for any Audit purposes
- Highly trained and experienced staff who understand the demands of a Nursing/Care home
- Medicines Use Review for your residents
- Help with training and development of your staff
We provide a palliative care service. Palliative care drugs can sometimes be required quickly and this service ensures that there is appropriate access to a range of palliative care drugs, particularly outside of normal opening hours, and when treatment is needed urgently.
Many of the drugs used in palliative care are not usually used for other conditions and are often not stocked in community pharmacies. As a palliative care service provider we hold a stock of palliative care drugs for when needed right away. The service is suitable for patients receiving palliative care and those providing their care.
We keep records of all your prescriptions dispensed by us as well as records of other services we provide to you. This helps us check for possible problems, such as reactions between medicines and will help us deal with any queries you may have. Our computer allows us to keep these records. We are registered with The Information Commissioners Office and comply with the Data Protection Act and the NHS code of practice on confidentiality. If you want to discuss the records we keep, please ask to speak to a member of staff or the pharmacist.
How can I delay my period?
There's no guaranteed way to delay your period, but it may be possible if you take the combined contraceptive pill. If you take a combined contraceptive pill, you can delay your period by taking 2 packets back-to-back.
How you do this will depend on which pill you take. Examples are:
- monophasic 21-day pills, such as Microgynon and Cilest – you take a combined pill for 21 days, followed by 7 days without pills, when you have a bleed (period). To delay your period, start a new packet of pills straight after you finish the last pill and miss out the 7-day break.
- everyday (ED) pills, such as Microgynon ED and Lorynon ED – you take a combined pill every day. The first 21 pills are active pills and the next 7 pills are inactive or dummy pills, when you have your period. To delay your period, miss out and throw away the dummy pills, and start the active pills in a new packet straight away.
- phasic 21-day pills, such as Binovium, Qlaira and Logynon – the mix of hormones in each pill is different, depending on which phase you're in. You need to take these pills in the correct order to have effective contraception. Ask your pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP for more information.
Taking your contraceptive pills in the ways described above will not affect how they work as contraceptives. If you're not sure which pill you're on or which pills in the packet to miss out, speak to our pharmacist, community contraception clinic or GP.
Avoid taking more than 2 packs without a break, unless your GP says you can.
There's a risk you could experience side effects, such as:
- feeling sick
- being sick
- diarrhoea
- unexpected vaginal bleeding
Progestogen-only contraceptive pill
If you're taking a progestogen-only contraceptive pill, you cannot delay your period by taking 2 packets back-to-back. You may be able to switch to the combined contraceptive pill or take another medication to delay your period. If you're not sure which type of pill you're taking, speak to our pharmacist.
If you do not take a contraceptive pill
See your GP for advice if you want to delay your period and you're not taking the combined contraceptive pill.
After consultation our pharmacists are able to prescribe medication called norethisterone to delay your period, you will be advised you when to take norethisterone and for how long. You'll usually be prescribed 3 norethisterone tablets a day, starting 3 to 4 days before you expect your period to begin. Your period should arrive 2 to 3 days after you stop taking the medication. Please note, Norethisterone does not act as a contraceptive when used in this way, so you could still get pregnant. You'll need to use another type of contraceptive, such as a condom. Norethisterone may not be suitable if you have a history of blood clots.
How well it works in delaying periods also varies between women. Some women taking norethisterone have reported side effects, such as:
- breast tenderness
- nausea
- breast tenderness
- nausea
- headache
- disturbances in mood and sex drive
- headache
- disturbances in mood and sex drive
Switching to, or starting, the combined contraceptive pill
If you currently use another type of contraception, switching to the combined contraceptive pill will allow you to delay your period. You may also be able to start taking the combined pill if you do not already use contraception. You may need to start taking this pill several weeks before the time when you want to delay your period, and it's not suitable for everyone. If you're switching to or starting the combined contraceptive pill, you might need to use additional contraception during the first few days of taking it.
Ask our pharmacist for more information and advice.
You can carry out most pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period. If you don't know when your next period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.
Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period, from as early as 8 days after conception.
You can do a pregnancy test in our pharmacy on a sample of urine collected at any time of the day. It doesn't have to be in the morning.
This service is confidential.
We recommend you consider getting a flub jab If you don't qualify for an NHS vaccination but are:
- susceptible to colds and chest infections
- are self employed and unable to afford time off work
- would like to protect yourself from flu during peak season
This service is available on a walk in basis without an appointment and there is a charge but please call the pharmacy first.
Sore throats are very common and usually nothing to worry about. They normally get better by themselves within a week.In our pharmacy we can do a test for a sore throat and consult for water infection and give antibiotics if appropriate-saving you an appointment with the GP.
How to treat a sore throat yourself
To help soothe a sore throat and shorten how long it lasts you can:
- gargle with warm salty water (children shouldn't try this)
- drink plenty of water – but avoid hot drinks
- eat cool or soft foods
- avoid smoking or smoky places
- suck ice cubes, ice lollies or hard sweets – but don't give young children anything small and hard to suck because of the risk of choking
- rest
To help relieve the pain and discomfort of a sore throat you can:
- use paracetamol or ibuprofen
- use medicated lozenges or anaesthetic sprays (although there is little evidence they help)
You can buy them from our pharmacy without a prescription.
Antibiotic tonsillitis treatment without a prescription or seeing your GP
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats we have ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year around the world. According to the NHS, in the UK alone, smoking kills over 80,000 people every year and a further 500,000 people are admitted into hospital as a direct result of smoking.
Smoking has been linked to countless conditions from depression, infertility and asthma, to the more serious conditions such as lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease. It’s really not surprising that this is the case when you consider how many harmful substances there are in a cigarette. They have thousands of different chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic (cancer causing), and examples of others being acetone (used as nail polish remover), lead and cadmium (a highly toxic metal.)
The truth of the matter is, we all know how bad smoking is for our health, and a majority of smokers will say that they want to quit but giving up can be hard. Especially without the right help and support. That’s where our friendly and professional staff come in!
There is now more support than ever before, not just in the form of information, but also products designed to reduce cravings and to fight off any of the horrible withdrawal symptoms. One of the developments has been the introduction of Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT.) There are a variety of NRT products available:
- Patches
- Gum
- Inhalators
- Mouth Sprays
- Nasal Sprays
- Tablets
- Lozenges
Smoking is addictive because of the nicotine in cigarettes. That is why it is hard to quit. By starting one or even a combination of the above therapies, they will give a smoker a dose of nicotine in their blood. This reduces the nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings, whilst they break away from the psychological habit of smoking.
Our staff can advise you on the best way to kick your smoking habit. By coming in to our store our trained pharmacist will provide you with a free consultation, asking you questions such as how many cigarettes you smoke in a day and what triggers the need for a cigarette etc. By determining your ‘level of nicotine addiction’ the pharmacist will then be able to offer their advice on what they think would work best for you.
The pharmacist may even offer advice in other forms, for example, letting you know about any local support groups, advising you to take up a hobby or even suggesting a routine to start you off.
The benefit of having this support is that we are there 7 days a week whenever you need help, or even just a friendly professional to speak with. It is a proven fact that if you receive support while trying to stop smoking your chance for success is greatly increased.
We can provide a supervised consumption service, usually in the private consultation room in the pharmacy.
We provide a vaccination service and a range of vaccinations are available, please contact the pharmacy for further details.
We stock a popular range of vitamins and supplements aimed at nutrition, and women's and men's health.
We can offer weight management help. Pharmacists are ideally placed to help you manage your weight as they already provide many health services to customers, including stop smoking services, blood pressure and cholesterol measurements and general advice on nutrition and healthy living. Pharmacists also know when a weight problem can be managed in the pharmacy and when there is a medical problem that needs co-operation with the doctor.
Ask us for advice on how to get started.
Bishopstoke, Eastleigh
Hampshire
SO50 6LP