Alcohol advice, sexual health checks, and cuts and bruises – the chemist can fix it

Published on Monday 15 September 2008 22:10

SEXUAL health checks, help with alcohol addiction and treatment for minor injuries are to be made available at pharmacies, the Scottish health secretary announced yesterday.

Nicola Sturgeon said eight pharmacies, in Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Airdrie, would take part in a pilot project to evaluate whether the walk-in services could be extended across Scotland.

The services will also operate outside normal hours – in some cases until midnight – to increase access for people who find it difficult to access normal health services.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The Scottish Government is committed to making it easier for people to access high-quality healthcare, as locally as possible. These walk-in pharmacy services will make a range of services available right in the heart of communities."

The services will include nurse-led minor injury clinics, sexual health and addiction services, immunisation and lifestyle checks. The eight pilot projects will vary in the services they each offer and will operate initially until March 2010.

Margaret Watt, of the Scottish Patients Association, welcomed the scheme but said it would have to be carefully monitored.

She said: "We will need to make sure patients are not misdiagnosed or given the wrong care."