If you live in Wester Hailes and have a minor illness, Wester Hailes Pharmacy, in Units 27-29 of the Westside Plaza centre, runs NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, which lets a pharmacist assess common problems and supply medicine on the NHS where that is the right thing to do.
The service is for anyone who lives in Scotland or is registered with a Scottish GP practice. You do not usually need an appointment. Just come in and ask at the counter. Typical problems the pharmacist can help with include hay fever, sore throats, earache, constipation, eczema, head lice, athlete’s foot and a blocked nose. Not every consultation ends with medicine. Sometimes the right answer is advice, and sometimes the pharmacist will point you to your GP or another service.
Thinking about stopping smoking before winter? The NHS stop smoking service at the pharmacy is free, with no GP referral needed. It runs for 12 weeks with a short check-in each week, and the pharmacist helps you choose between patches, gum, lozenges, spray and tablets. The pharmacy has written a plain guide to how it works at https://westerhailespharmacy.co.uk/pharmacy-stop-smoking-service-guide/.
The pharmacy also offers blood pressure checks, takes back unwanted medicines for safe disposal, and can make up weekly dosette boxes for people managing several medicines. Ask at the counter about any of these.
Westerhailes Pharmacy is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 5.30pm. The Superintendent Pharmacist is Raza Ahmed, who is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Call 0131 275 4660 or see https://westerhailespharmacy.co.uk/ for the full list of services.
