What medical treatments are available from the community pharmacy?

Generally, the treatment for mild allergic symptoms is the use of antihistamines and the community pharmacy is ideally situated to provide these products. NHS UK Antihistamines reminds us that. Antihistamines are medicines often used to relieve symptoms of allergies, such as hay fever, hives, conjunctivitis and reactions to insect bites or stings. Most antihistamines can be bought from pharmacies and shops, but some stronger strengths are only available on prescription. They also fall into 2 categories the drowsy types e.g., Chlorphenamine and Promethazine and the non-drowsy types e.g., Cetirizine and Loratadine. The effectiveness of both is similar so therefore the choice should be down to the customer depending if they wanted a drowsy or non-drowsy type depending on their needs.

How antihistamines work

Antihistamines block the effects of a substance called histamine in the body. Histamine is normally released when the body detects something harmful, such as an infection. It causes blood vessels to expand and the skin to swell, which helps protect the body. But in people with allergies, the body mistakes something harmless – such as pollen, animal hair or house dust – for a threat and produces histamine. The histamine causes an allergic reaction with unpleasant symptoms including itchy, watering eyes, a running or blocked nose, sneezing and skin rashes. Antihistamines help stop this happening especially when taken before they come into contact with the substance, they are allergic to. Or they can reduce the severity of symptoms if taken afterwards.This shows the community pharmacy is ideally situated for both prevention and treatment of minor allergies.

Numarknet has a wide selection of antihistamines and some examples include: 

• Chlorphenamine 2mg/5mloral-solution 150ml Numark Antihistamine and Allergy Relief 2mg/5ml Oral Solution 150ml (1100080)
• Loratadine 10mg tablets x 30 Numark Allergy & Hayfever 10mg Tabs - Loratadine 30's (3797180)
• Cetirizine 10mg tablets x 30 Numark Hayfever Relief Tabs - Cetirizine Hydrochloride 30's (3797198)
• Beclometasone nasal spray 200 dose Numark Hayfever Relief Nasal Spray - Beclometasone 200 dose (1098417)
• Sodium Cromoglicate 2% eye drops 10ml Numark Hayfever Relief 2% w/v Eye Drops (1108356)
• Hydrocortisone 1% cream 15g Numark Hydrocortisone 1% w/w Cream (1043512)