Husam Gawad, the superintended pharmacist, is the CG and IG lead at PharmaElite ltd. He is knowledgeable about both the pharmacy procedures and NHS services available locally and nationally. At PharmaElite we would like to ensure;
This free and confidential service allows your GP surgery to send a prescription to the pharmacy of your choice, meaning there is less need for you to travel to your GP surgery just to collect a prescription form. You do not need to be able to use a computer in order to use this service, this will all be done by your GP surgery and the pharmacy.
Do all GP surgeries offer the electronic prescription service?
In the future, it is expected that all GP surgeries will offer this service. To find out if your surgery is is offering EPS, simply ask one of the members of staff or look for the Electronic Prescription Service sign. If your surgery is not currently able to send your prescriptions electronically, ask at one of our Whitfield's branches about our Repeat Prescription Collection Service.
How do I choose my pharmacy?
In order to sign up for the electronic prescription service you must first choose the pharmacy you would like to use regularly, then simply ask one of the members of staff to add your nomination to their system. A nomination simply tells your GP surgery that you have chosen this particular pharmacy for all of your prescriptions to be sent to.
How do I change or cancel my nomination?
You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time by speaking to any pharmacist that offers this service, requesting they add your new nomination to their system. You can also cancel your nomination altogether if you no longer wish to receive electronic prescriptions, and your GP surgery will start issuing paper prescriptions again.
How do I re-order my next prescription?
The way you order your repeat prescriptions will not change, simply ask for a copy of your repeat slip when you collect your medicaiton. If you are on a regular medication, your GP may choose to put you on the Repeat Dispensing Service. This means that prescriptions will automatically be sent to the pharmacy without the need for you to order them yourself, all you have to do is go to the pharmacy when your medication is due, and the prescription will be waiting for you.
What are the benefits of using the electronic prescription service?
Who is eligible to receive the morning after pill?
The morning after pill is available free of charge to most girls and women from the age of 14 if it is taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. However, the morning after pill may be unsuitable if:
Please visit your local Whitfield's pharmacy and talk to one of our pharmacist's if you are in any doubt about the morning after pill. Even if you are not eligible to receive EHC, we will be able to give you the advice you need as well as answer any questions you have and our pharmacist will be able to direct you to a more appropriate health service.
What will happen in the consultation?
The consultation with the pharmacist involves a series of questions to ensure the morning after pill is suitable for you to take. These questions will include:
The pharmacist will also be able to give you advice about how the morning after pill works and how effective it is. As well as this, you will also be given advice on longer acting methods of contraception and sexually transmitted infections.
How much does it cost?
We can supply the morning after pill free of charge provided you are eligible to receive it, once the pharmacist has completed the consultation. If you are not eligible to receive the morning after pill for free, it is also available to buy at a charge of £25 after a short consultation with the pharmacist.
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 in the comfort of your own home for eligible patients). Please contact us for further details.
This is a free NHS service and you do not need an appointment
Why have a flu jab?
Flu is a highly infectious illness that can be easily spread through sneezing, coughing and even hand contact, and it can take up to two weeks for you to recover, disrupting your family life, social commitments or work schedule. Getting a flu jab is the easiest way of protecting yourself from getting flu, and for those with a busy lifestyle, it can help limit any disruption to your routine. As well as this, by protecting yourself with a flu jab, you reduce the risk of passing it on to more vulnerable adults or family members.
Symptoms can include:
How much does the flu jab cost?
Whitfield's pharmacies offer the flu jab for just £12, however you may be eligible for a free vaccination if you fit into the following criteria:
How dose the service work?
You can either book an appointment to get your flu jab or simply ask when you are in the pharmacy if the pharmacist is available to administer it then. When you have your flu jab, the pharmacist will fill out a questionnaire with you to see if you are eligible for a vaccination that day. There are certain circumstances when you may not be able to have your flu jab, for example:
What happens next?
After you have your flu jab, the pharmacist will ask you to wait in the pharmacy for around a further 10minutes. Some side effects you may get after having your flu jab include some redness or swelling in the area where the vaccine was administered, or a slight headache or raised temperature.
Eventhough you may feel unwell after your vaccination, it is not possible to catch flu from the flu jab itself, however, it can take up to 2 weeks for the flu jab to take effect and so it is possible to catch flu during this period. As well as this, the vaccination is designed to protect you from the more common strains of virus responsible for causing flu, so there is a small chance you could catch a strain of flu not contained in the flu jab.
How does the New Medicines Service work?
The NMS service is aimed at those patients recently diagnosed with:
When you have been prescribed a new medication, the pharmacist will initially ask you to sign a consent form, enrolling you on the new service, and then talk you through your new treatment; including how and when to take it and how it will work. This is then followed up 14 days later with either a phone call or a consultation in the pharmacy, with a further follow up around 1 month after first starting your treatment. During these follow up conversations, you will have the opportunity to ask any questions about your new medication or raise any concerns you may have.
What happens next?
After your 2 follow-up appointments, you should hopefully find that your new medication is managing your condition well, meaning no further appointments are needed. If there are any problems, your pharmacist may be able to provide advice on a better or easier way for you to take your medication, or alternatively, they can contact your GP to raise your concerns and ask them to review your treatment.
In the event that PharmaElite Ltd cannot provide information, treatment or/and advice to you we will signpost you to other health and social care providers or support organisations who may be able to assist you. Where necessary a written referral note will be provided. For further information please call or email us
What happens in the Stop Smoking Consultation?
During the consultations our stop smoking advisor's will offer you any advice or support that you need and answer any questions that you might have. Our advisor's will also work with you to decide which NRT product is most suitable for you. As well as this, a carbon monoxide test will be conducted which simply assesses how much carbon monoxide is present in your breath, and our advisor's can then talk you through the results. This will be done at every consultation you have and you will be given feedback about the readings, including the health benefits.
What products are available from the Stop Smoking Clinic?
There are a number of products available including:
Husam Gawad, the superintended pharmacist, is the CG and IG lead at PharmaElite ltd. He is knowledgeable about both the pharmacy procedures and NHS services available locally and nationally. At PharmaElite we would like to ensure;
This free and confidential service allows your GP surgery to send a prescription to the pharmacy of your choice, meaning there is less need for you to travel to your GP surgery just to collect a prescription form. You do not need to be able to use a computer in order to use this service, this will all be done by your GP surgery and the pharmacy.
Do all GP surgeries offer the electronic prescription service?
In the future, it is expected that all GP surgeries will offer this service. To find out if your surgery is is offering EPS, simply ask one of the members of staff or look for the Electronic Prescription Service sign. If your surgery is not currently able to send your prescriptions electronically, ask at one of our Whitfield's branches about our Repeat Prescription Collection Service.
How do I choose my pharmacy?
In order to sign up for the electronic prescription service you must first choose the pharmacy you would like to use regularly, then simply ask one of the members of staff to add your nomination to their system. A nomination simply tells your GP surgery that you have chosen this particular pharmacy for all of your prescriptions to be sent to.
How do I change or cancel my nomination?
You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time by speaking to any pharmacist that offers this service, requesting they add your new nomination to their system. You can also cancel your nomination altogether if you no longer wish to receive electronic prescriptions, and your GP surgery will start issuing paper prescriptions again.
How do I re-order my next prescription?
The way you order your repeat prescriptions will not change, simply ask for a copy of your repeat slip when you collect your medicaiton. If you are on a regular medication, your GP may choose to put you on the Repeat Dispensing Service. This means that prescriptions will automatically be sent to the pharmacy without the need for you to order them yourself, all you have to do is go to the pharmacy when your medication is due, and the prescription will be waiting for you.
What are the benefits of using the electronic prescription service?
Who is eligible to receive the morning after pill?
The morning after pill is available free of charge to most girls and women from the age of 14 if it is taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. However, the morning after pill may be unsuitable if:
Please visit your local Whitfield's pharmacy and talk to one of our pharmacist's if you are in any doubt about the morning after pill. Even if you are not eligible to receive EHC, we will be able to give you the advice you need as well as answer any questions you have and our pharmacist will be able to direct you to a more appropriate health service.
What will happen in the consultation?
The consultation with the pharmacist involves a series of questions to ensure the morning after pill is suitable for you to take. These questions will include:
The pharmacist will also be able to give you advice about how the morning after pill works and how effective it is. As well as this, you will also be given advice on longer acting methods of contraception and sexually transmitted infections.
How much does it cost?
We can supply the morning after pill free of charge provided you are eligible to receive it, once the pharmacist has completed the consultation. If you are not eligible to receive the morning after pill for free, it is also available to buy at a charge of £25 after a short consultation with the pharmacist.
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 in the comfort of your own home for eligible patients). Please contact us for further details.
This is a free NHS service and you do not need an appointment
Why have a flu jab?
Flu is a highly infectious illness that can be easily spread through sneezing, coughing and even hand contact, and it can take up to two weeks for you to recover, disrupting your family life, social commitments or work schedule. Getting a flu jab is the easiest way of protecting yourself from getting flu, and for those with a busy lifestyle, it can help limit any disruption to your routine. As well as this, by protecting yourself with a flu jab, you reduce the risk of passing it on to more vulnerable adults or family members.
Symptoms can include:
How much does the flu jab cost?
Whitfield's pharmacies offer the flu jab for just £12, however you may be eligible for a free vaccination if you fit into the following criteria:
How dose the service work?
You can either book an appointment to get your flu jab or simply ask when you are in the pharmacy if the pharmacist is available to administer it then. When you have your flu jab, the pharmacist will fill out a questionnaire with you to see if you are eligible for a vaccination that day. There are certain circumstances when you may not be able to have your flu jab, for example:
What happens next?
After you have your flu jab, the pharmacist will ask you to wait in the pharmacy for around a further 10minutes. Some side effects you may get after having your flu jab include some redness or swelling in the area where the vaccine was administered, or a slight headache or raised temperature.
Eventhough you may feel unwell after your vaccination, it is not possible to catch flu from the flu jab itself, however, it can take up to 2 weeks for the flu jab to take effect and so it is possible to catch flu during this period. As well as this, the vaccination is designed to protect you from the more common strains of virus responsible for causing flu, so there is a small chance you could catch a strain of flu not contained in the flu jab.
How does the New Medicines Service work?
The NMS service is aimed at those patients recently diagnosed with:
When you have been prescribed a new medication, the pharmacist will initially ask you to sign a consent form, enrolling you on the new service, and then talk you through your new treatment; including how and when to take it and how it will work. This is then followed up 14 days later with either a phone call or a consultation in the pharmacy, with a further follow up around 1 month after first starting your treatment. During these follow up conversations, you will have the opportunity to ask any questions about your new medication or raise any concerns you may have.
What happens next?
After your 2 follow-up appointments, you should hopefully find that your new medication is managing your condition well, meaning no further appointments are needed. If there are any problems, your pharmacist may be able to provide advice on a better or easier way for you to take your medication, or alternatively, they can contact your GP to raise your concerns and ask them to review your treatment.
In the event that PharmaElite Ltd cannot provide information, treatment or/and advice to you we will signpost you to other health and social care providers or support organisations who may be able to assist you. Where necessary a written referral note will be provided. For further information please call or email us
What happens in the Stop Smoking Consultation?
During the consultations our stop smoking advisor's will offer you any advice or support that you need and answer any questions that you might have. Our advisor's will also work with you to decide which NRT product is most suitable for you. As well as this, a carbon monoxide test will be conducted which simply assesses how much carbon monoxide is present in your breath, and our advisor's can then talk you through the results. This will be done at every consultation you have and you will be given feedback about the readings, including the health benefits.
What products are available from the Stop Smoking Clinic?
There are a number of products available including: