THE UK Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is encouraging patients to visit their pharmacist before booking an appointment with their GP, in a bid to relieve pressure on doctors.
The peak body representing British GPs said patients should also research their symptoms online via the government's NHS Choices website or a similar reputable resource to get background information and general guidance for their condition and possible treatments to practise "self care".
RCGP chair Helen Stokes-Lampard said she hoped that the three-step mantra, namely self-care, online research or visiting their pharmacist, labelled "3 before GP," will reduce the "immense" pressure felt by GPs during the busy northern winter period.
While winter blues are far behind us in Australia, long waiting times for GP appointments are still a strong memory for many.
"I would encourage patients with more minor illnesses to think hard about whether they actually need to see a GP," said Stokes-Lampard.
"The '3 before GP' mantra is a simple and easy way to help reduce the strain on general practice, and we hope it will enable GPs to spend more time with patients who have complex health issues and are most in need of our expert help," she said.
RCGP spokesperson Neal Patel said that as the experts on medicines, pharmacists could help people with both questions about winter bugs and concerns about side effects of prescription medicines.
"Crucially, pharmacists can help you decide when that worrying symptom is something you can manage yourself or when you should seek help, which is especially important over the holidays when your GP surgery may be closed," said Patel.
"There is a wide range of medicines and treatments available to buy from pharmacies and supermarkets which can offer relief from common self-treatable conditions, such as coughs, colds, indigestion and allergies."
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