Minor ailments cause many to miss work: Pharmacist busts myths about UTIs, sore throats

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) is encouraging individuals to visit their local pharmacy for the treatment of minor ailments to avoid unnecessary days
off from work, save the NHS money and improve patient care.

A new NPA poll revealed that 55 per cent of workers missed at least one day of work last year due to coughs, colds, and other minor illnesses.

The survey, which involved over 2,000 patients and was conducted by Research without Barriers, found that 31 per cent of respondents were absent from work for
1-6 days, 15 per cent for a week, 12 per cent for two weeks and 3 per cent for three weeks.

This polling is part of the NPA’s Ask Your Pharmacist Week campaign, which aims to dispel common myths around minor ailments and encourage greater use of local
pharmacies for medical treatment.

In England, pharmacies can now provide NHS treatments for a range of common ailments through the Pharmacy First Service, including ear infections, impetigo,
shingles, sinusitis, sore throat, infected insect bites and uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs).

However, 36 per cent of people surveyed were unaware of the Pharmacy First service, with 20 per cent believing such ailments could only be treated by their GP.