There are over 14,500 community pharmacies or local chemists in the UK. As well as the traditional range of services provided, pharmacists are useful source of information about prescribed medicines, such as side effects or possible interactions if you are taking a number of medications.
Some pharmacists are now able to offer medicine use reviews. Medicine use reviews are a free NHS service that allow you to discuss issues relating to the drugs you are taking.
During a medicine use review your pharmacist will:
- review all the medicines you are taking, and see whether there are any overlaps / interactions between them
- help you find out more about the medicines you are taking
- identify any problems with the medicines you are taking
- try to improve the effectiveness of your medications by discussing how and when you are taking them.
Speak to your local pharmacist to see if they are able to offer this service to you. You can find out more about the Medicines use review (MUR) service on the NHS Choices website.
You can find a pharmacist near you using the NHS website, and read more about pharmacy services in the UK.