All Other Services
McMinns Pharmacy in Wishaw, is your trusted source for all other services designed to help you maintain your well-being all year round.
Comprehensive Health Services
Our comprehensive services include:
Repeat Dispensing
Repeat dispensing allows prescribers to issue a batch of prescriptions for a medication that needs to be taken by the patient regularly. This allows the pharmacy to dispense your prescription at regular intervals for the number of batch prescriptions provided by the prescriber.
In order to apply for our repeat prescription delivery service with McMinns Pharmacy you will need to sign up to us and nominate us as your chosen dispensary.
After that you will need to contact your GP practice and order your repeat prescriptions, and let them know that we are your pharmacy of choice. Once we receive your prescription digitally from the GP along with your patient details, we will be able to send your medication out to you when you need them.
Supervised Consumption
Supervised consumption is an NHS service which is used in certain conditions to ensure that patients take their medication at regular intervals, such as in substance dependence. The prescriber writes the supervised consumption instructions on the prescription. The service is funded by the NHS and is free for patients to access.
The service requires the pharmacist to supervise the consumption of prescribed medicines at the point of dispensing in the pharmacy, which ensures that the dose has been administered to the patient. We offer a service that is client-centred, user-friendly, non-judgmental and completely confidential. We provide support and advice to the patient, including referral to primary care or specialist centers where appropriate. Your comfort and privacy are important and therefore, this service is carried out in a consultation room.
In most cases, the prescriber will discuss the options with the patient and refer them to the pharmacy of their choice for this service. Before reviewing the patient, the prescriber will check with the pharmacy about the adherence of the patient to the treatment.
If you would like more information or would like us to provide this service for you, please speak to a member of staff or contact us.
Needle Exchange Service
The needle exchange service allows people who inject intravenous drugs to obtain clean, sterile needles and syringes and safely dispose off the used needles and syringes. This is an NHS service designed to prevent people from sharing or reusing needles or other devices. It also reduces drug-related harm and the transmission of blood-borne bacterial and viral infections such as hepatitis B and C or HIV.
We offer a friendly non-judgemental service to our pharmacy. As a customer, you will ask to speak with a pharmacist who will be there to help with a range of other queries that you might have, such as, referral to a drug treatment program or testing for Hep B, C and HIV.
Protect yourself and others by avoiding sharing needles and other equipment used in preparing the drugs. Speak to a member of staff for a needle pack if you require this service.
Community Dosage Systems
The community dosage system is a service for those patients who take numerous medications or who can’t remember to take their medications on time due to their conditions or circumstances. The pharmacy will put your medication in a weekly pack which is easy to follow, allowing better compliance and safe administration of medicines.
This service is being used by many of the elderly population to help manage complex medicine regimes. This is an important tool that enhances medicine adherence and helps patients manage their medicine effectively. As a Pharmacy team, we understand how important it is to take medicine on time and not miss any doses which is why we can help organise weekly pill trays for those who require them and deliver them to the patients on a weekly basis. This will help prevent medicine wastage and overdosage in some patients.
The pharmacy will assess your eligibility for this service with you or your carer and the prescriber in some cases. Please speak to a member of staff about if you are interested in this service.
Minor Ailment Scheme
The minor ailment scheme is an NHS service that allows the pharmacy to supply advice and medication where appropriate by the pharmacy for a group of minor conditions. The service is free of charge for eligible patients.
Blood Tests Service
When you are unwell, your GP may schedule some blood tests to help diagnose the cause. This is an important part of healthcare provided on the NHS.
However, our blood tests offer an alternative route for people seeking information about their health.
Why have private blood tests?
There are many reasons why someone may choose to have blood tests:
– Blood tests allow you to take control of your health. By understanding your health markers, you can make informed and healthy lifestyle choices.
– For routine tests, blood tests allow you to bypass GP waiting times for both the taking of samples and getting your results.
– You may have a specific health reason based on your family’s health history or lifestyle.
– Gain reassurance and peace of mind when you know.
Can you get a blood test without a doctor?
Taking a blood sample is a simple procedure carried out by a phlebotomist. A phlebotomist is a person specially trained in taking blood. This could be in the form of samples for medical tests or it could also be for blood donations, for example.
The blood samples are sent away for testing. When you receive your results you can discuss them with your GP.
How much do blood tests cost?
Blood tests come as either single tests or panels of multiple tests. These are free NHS blood test and at no cost to you!
Get in contact with our private blood tests service today to find out more about our blood tests.
HPV Vaccine
HPV, or Human Papilloma Virus, is a group of common skin viruses. There are over 100 HPV viruses, and the majority do not cause any serious issues. However, there are a few strains of HPV that are considered high-risk, and these high-risk strains are often associated with cancer.
The HPV vaccine helps protect against cancer-causing strains of HPV. 99.7% of cervical cancers are caused by an HPV infection. Having the HPV vaccine is the most effective method to protect against cervical cancer. Considering cervical cancer is the most common and most dangerous cancer for women under the age of 35, the HPV vaccine is vitally important to saving lives. Nonetheless, the vaccine does not completely eradicate the chances of contracting cervical cancer. It is extremely important for women to have regular cervical screenings, as the vaccine can only protect against 80% of cervical cancers.
The HPV vaccine is also increasingly important for men to help reduce penial cancers! The HPV vaccine is, age-dependent, a course of two or three injections in the upper arm. These vaccine injections need to be at least six months apart and all doses must then be administered to ensure the highest likelihood of safety.
You may not be eligible to receive the HPV vaccine through the NHS, so you will need to obtain the vaccine privately if you need it. All children aged 12 and above can now receive the HPV vaccine from the NHS for free. After the age of 15, three doses of the vaccine will be required to ensure maximum protection. The HPV vaccine is available from the NHS up until the age of 25.
Hair Loss Service
On average, we shed around fifty to a hundred hairs each day. But because there are around 100,000 constantly renewing hairs on the head, it isn’t bothersome. Hair loss is not usually anything to be worried about, but occasionally it can be a sign of a medical condition.
Some people can experience noticeable and sometimes permanent hair loss. Often this happens gradually with age, but if hair loss happens suddenly, or occurs in random patches, it can be a sign of a medical condition requiring treatment. It’s therefore important to seek out consultation if you experience hair loss.
Hair loss in women
Androgenetic alopecia (also known as female pattern baldness, or female pattern hair loss) describes when women permanently lose hair with age. Unlike men, there is more of an overall effect of thinning hair. This tends to be most noticeable around the parting, with hair loss around the hairline being rarer in women.
Antimalarials
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites which are transmitted through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans and 2 of these species p.falciparum and p.vivax pose the highest threat. If you are planning to travel, speak with one of our team to get your antimalarials today and stay protected against malaria.
Emergency Hormonal Contraceptives
Emergency contraception is a tablet women take to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, including contraceptive failures like a condom slipping off.
Emergency Hormonal Contraception delays egg release during your menstrual cycle’s ovulation phase. Rising luteinising hormone (LH) levels trigger ovulation. Higher LH levels reduce the morning-after pill’s effectiveness. Hence, take the emergency contraceptive pill immediately after unprotected sex for optimal efficacy.
You can choose between two types of emergency contraception in Wishaw: ellaOne and Levonelle (Levonorgestrel).
Levonorgestrel is less effective as LH levels rise, while ellaOne remains effective later in the menstrual cycle. Both must be taken promptly after sexual intercourse, preferably on the same day.
Get in touch with your friendly team at our pharmacy today, to discuss emergency contraception.
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED), which is also known as impotence, is the inability to get or maintain an erection. It is a common condition in men in the UK and most men suffer from this condition at some point in their lifetime. It’s very common in men over 40.
If you believe that you suffer from erectile dysfunction then we can help you with a range of treatment options. There are prescription-only medicines and also over the counter medicines. You will have a consultation with one of our pharmacists in a private consultation room. We will assess your medical history and establish which treatment is suitable for you. Where we can’t supply any medication, we will signpost you to another service.
This service is a private service, not an NHS service. There is a cost associated with any treatment through this service. The most popular medications include Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and generic Viagra (Sildenafil). They work by allowing a better blood flow to the penis, by assisting the blood vessels that act as a gateway to open and stay dilated.
Viagra-connect is licensed to be sold by the pharmacy without a need for a prescription to men over 18 years of age that suffer from erectile dysfunction. Currently, it is available in 50mg strength tablet in packs of 4s and 8s. One of our pharmacists will go through a short questionnaire in a private consultation room to ensure that the drug is safe and suitable for you.
Contact us to book now!
Medicine Care Review
Our Medicine Care Review is a free and readily available NHS service available to patients suffering from specific long-term conditions.
Usually, it is carried out at our pharmacy once every 12 months. However, this is not fixed. In some specific cases, our pharmacist may carry out the procedure at different conditions and intervals. The aim of our medicine care review is to highlight any issues you may be experiencing when taking your prescribed medication, any possible side effects, and to answer any pressing questions you may have.
Our expert pharmacists will explore all the medication that you are taking, making sure that you understand your medication and the benefits of it and teaching you the correct technique to ensure that your medication is beneficial for you. Additionally, Medicine Care Review is able to provide you with healthy living advice. Including healthy diet advice, weight management, alcohol consumption, stop smoking advice, and exercise.
Our pharmacists will conduct a review with you in a private consultation room, allowing you the opportunity to discuss any issues you may be experiencing. Our pharmacist will give you any information and advice and will refer you to a GP if necessary.
Contact us today to find out more details!
Disposal of Unwanted Medicines
If you have unused/expired prescription medicines or medicines that you bought over the counter, just bring them to the pharmacy for safe disposal. This is a free service available to the public. It’s not safe to put unwanted/expired medicine in domestic bins.
Gluten Free Food Service
Here at McMinns Pharmacy, we are passionate about helping our community live healthy and happy lives! If you have recently been diagnosed with Coeliac disease you can now register with our Pharmacy and allow us to support and help you manage your condition.
The Gluten-free Food Service is a voluntary service for people that need to eat gluten-free foods as part of their care. This service is available through most community pharmacies in Scotland.
All gluten-free foods are provided free-of-charge as part of your prescription.
Who Can Use This Service?
You can use this service if you:
– have a confirmed diagnosis of coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis
– live in Scotland
– have registered with a GP practice
Please note: You can’t use this service if you live in a care home but can continue to get your prescription through your GP.
Visit McMinns Pharmacy in Wishaw
We take pride in offering top-quality services to help you stay well throughout the year. Whether you require a consultation, vaccination, allergy management, cold and flu remedies, or just need advice on maintaining your well-being during seasonal changes, we are here to support you.