Common Conditions Service (CCS)

Q: What happens in an appointment?

Step 1 - One of our trained Healthcare Advisors will take some personal details and a few details on your medical condition and then refer you to the pharmacist for consultation.Step 2 - Our pharmacist will carry out a structured consultation with you to assess your symptoms and discuss the most appropriate next steps. This may include writing a prescription for a prescription-only medicine, recommending a pharmacy medicine (available without a prescription), and providing practical self-care advice and information to support your recovery.Step 3 – If medical treatment has been recommended by the pharmacist the team will dispense your medication from the pharmacists prescription or advise on the OTC medication that has been recommended for you. In some cases the pharmacist may need to refer you to another healthcare professional for further treatment, tests or further advice.

Common Conditions Service

The Common Conditions Service allows pharmacists to offer professional healthcare advice and treatment where appropriate for eight common illnesses. This service is designed to give you faster, more convenient access to safe, high-quality, pharmacist-led healthcare.

To avail of this service, you can call in directly to any of our stores, where one of our trained pharmacists will be happy to assist you. We will have online booking available soon.

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What common conditions can our pharmacists diagnose and treat?

Below is the list of common conditions included in the service, including the age inclusion criteria:

Allergic rhinitis & allergic conjunctivitis (2 years and over)
Cold sores (1 month and over)
Infective Conjunctivitis (6 months and over)
Impetigo (2 months and older)
Oral thrush (1 month and older)
Shingles (18 years and over)
Uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) in women (16-64 years)
Vulvovaginal thrush (16-60 years)

For the treatment of babies under this scheme the age requirement is the correct age of the baby e.g. if the baby is one month old but was born 2 weeks premature then the baby is technically 2 weeks old under the guidelines for this scheme.

Various other eligibility criteria also apply
- If you don’t fit the required criteria or the symptoms are not within the inclusion criteria the pharmacist may be able to offer you some practical advice, suggest an Over-the-Counter Mediation or may refer you to another healthcare professional for further care.

All of our pharmacists are fully trained to provide this service and adhere to strict operational procedures as well as HSE
clinical protocols. These protocols include self-care and safety-netting guidance and enable pharmacist prescribing and supply of a restricted range of prescription-only medicines, without the need to visit a GP.

Allergic Rhinitis

Inflammation in the inside of the nose after being exposed to an allergen e.g. pollen. Causes sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, and itchy, watery eyes.
Cold Sores

Small, painful blisters around the mouth caused by the herpes simplex
virus. Usually start with a tingling sensation.
Conjunctivitis

An infection of the eye that causes redness, discharge, and irritation.
Impetigo

A contagious skin infection that causes red sores and honey-coloured crusts, often found on the face and hands
Oral Thrush

A fungal infection in the mouth that causes soreness in the mouth and white patches that cannot be rubbed off.
Shingles

An infection that starts with tingling or pain on the skin and causes a painful rash. Caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus.
UTI

A bladder infection, caused by bacteria, causing pain or burning when passing urine and frequent urination
Vulvovaginal thrush

A common yeast infection causing itching, soreness, and white vaginal discharge.

Below we have answered a couple of questions on this service:

What is the fee for the service?

The pharmacist consultation fee is €35. If the pharmacist considers a medicine is suitable and indicated they may prescribe or recommend a treatment. An additional change may apply for treatment recommended or prescribed. Prescribed medicines are eligible for dispensing under the Medical Card and Drugs Payment Schemes in the usual format that is applied with regular prescriptions.

What happens in an appointment?

Step 1 - One of our trained Healthcare Advisors will take some personal details and a few details on your medical condition and then refer you to the pharmacist for consultation.

Step 2 - Our pharmacist will carry out a structured consultation with you to assess your symptoms and discuss the most appropriate next steps. This may include writing a prescription for a prescription-only medicine, recommending a pharmacy medicine (available without a prescription), and providing practical self-care advice and information to support your recovery.

Step 3 – If medical treatment has been recommended by the pharmacist the team will dispense your medication from the pharmacists prescription or advise on the OTC medication that has been recommended for you.

In some cases the pharmacist may need to refer you to another healthcare professional for further treatment, tests or further advice.

Can I get prescribed medication at another pharmacy?

Yes, if your pharmacist issues a prescription, they can either dispense to you directly after your appointment or they can send it to the pharmacy of your choice, where it will be dispensed in the same way as any other prescription medicine. Please let your pharmacist know if you would like
your prescription sent to a different pharmacy.