We can offer more than flu jabs and prescriptions at Asda Pharmacy

If you’re looking for advice or treatment for minor illnesses you don’t always have to visit your GP. At Asda we have 255 pharmacies and qualified professionals in our stores who can help. This not only speeds things up because you don’t have to wait for a GP appointment, it also frees up GPs to concentrate on treating more serious illnesses.

They can advise you on the best way to treat things like coughs, colds, allergies, hay fever, athlete’s foot, cystitis and conjunctivitis and offer over-the-counter treatments. In certain instances our pharmacists can also prescribe medicines – for example for people who need the morning after pill.

Before prescribing any medication the pharmacist will have a one-to-one consultation with you to check the treatment is suitable. All our pharmacies have a private consultation area where you can’t be overhead. You don’t always need an appointment for a pharmacy consultation but it’s advisable to phone ahead if you’re planning a special trip.

Repeat prescriptions

You can opt to have your repeat prescriptions delivered electronically to your local Asda pharmacy so you don’t have to make an extra trip to your GP surgery. We can then issue repeat prescriptions until the next time you need to review your medication with your doctor.

The guidance on repeat prescriptions has changed recently. Medicines that can be bought over the counter for less than the prescription rate of £9 will not generally be issued as a prescription. However, in selected Asda stores – in areas where many of our patients are eligible for free prescriptions – we will continue to offer this service.

Vaccinations

Every year we offer a flu vaccination service which is always popular. We always aim to have a market-leading price on flu jabs. Patients in England and Wales who are eligible for a free flu vaccination at their GP surgery can have it free of charge at Asda if they prefer.

We can also give meningitis vaccination to people who need one. For example, it’s a requirement to have be protected against meningitis to travel to certain countries such as Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Meningitis vaccinations cost £35.

Health checks

If you have asthma you can book a medication review with our pharmacy team to check you're using your inhalers properly. We often find that people aren’t taking their medicine effectively which can lead to them using their inhalers more often, particularly in hay fever season. Our pharmacies have Incheck devices to test how effective your medication is.

Our pharmacy team can also carry out free blood pressure checks.

And we can help you to stop smoking. We know some people start vaping to help them quit smoking but it’s much easier to quit smoking with a programme of support. We can offer nicotine patches, gum or lozenges or a combination depending on what each patient needs.

Managing diabetes

We’ve had great feedback from customers about the Freestyle Libre sensor which helps people with Type 1 diabetes manage their glucose levels. It’s a device worn on the arm that sends information to an app on your mobile phone avoiding the need to do regular blood checks yourself. The sensor is available on prescription in some areas so check with your healthcare provider. For those without prescriptions we sell it at a market-leading price of £46.36.

Please note: we no longer offer blood sugar tests at Asda.

Malaria tablets

If you’re travelling abroad our pharmacists can check whether you will need to take malaria tablets. The most popular type of malaria tablet is Malarone and we offer this at Asda for a market-leading price of £18 per pack of 12. And this year we have a children’s version available too so you can buy Malaria tablets for all the family. Book a consultation with your local pharmacist.

Women’s health

Pre-period delay

We’re seeing more and more women visiting Asda Pharmacy to ask for treatment to delay their periods, either for a holiday or a special occasion. We can prescribe tablets that you take three times a day to delay menstruation for up to 16 days at a cost of £1 per day.

Morning after pill

Women who need the morning after pill can book a consultation with a pharmacist and, if it’s suitable to prescribe, buy it from Asda for just £10.

Men’s health

Erectile dysfunction

Our pharmacists can prescribe medication for erectile dysfunction including Viagra and Tadalafil. Book a consultation to discuss the best treatment.

Hair loss

A lot of people aren’t aware we can offer hair loss treatment at Asda. If you start losing your hair the medication will prevent further loss – so the earlier you start taking it the better. You can read more in my blog here.