The Island’s May bank holiday pharmacy opening times

Pharmacies in six Isle of Wight towns will open their doors on at least one of the two Monday bank holidays on May 1^st and May 8^th.

Newport, Ryde, Sandown, Seaview and Yarmouth will have pharmacies open on both days, the latter of which is to mark the Coronation of King Charles 111.

You can see the opening times in the table below.

Please note that the times differ but they are correct at the time of publishing. You may wish to phone the pharmacy before setting out on the day to ensure you don’t have a wasted journey.

Dr Michele Legg, a GP and the clinical director for the Island for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, said: “The NHS will as usual be there for you if you need us on both bank holidays and the local pharmacies play a significant role in helping people when they need it.

“Pharmacists are qualified healthcare experts in medicines, and they can help you with minor health concerns.

“They can also offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for various minor illnesses, like coughs, colds, sore throats and aches and pains.

“And they are trained to ensure that you receive the help you need such as advising you to see a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional if your condition warrants it.

“If you need repeat medication, please do ensure that your stocks will see you through the bank holiday period and re-order in good time, if you need to.”

Pharmacists can answer your questions on prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

All pharmacies provide the following services:

• dispensing of NHS prescriptions
• access to the repeat prescription service (with agreement from your GP)
• an emergency supply of medicine, subject to the decision of the pharmacist (you may need to pay for an emergency supply)
• non-prescription medicines like paracetamol
• disposal of unwanted or out-of-date medicines
• advice on treating minor health concerns and healthy living.

Pharmacy technicians can help with things like:

• inhaler technique
• how to take a medicine safely
• helping you understand the correct dose of a new medicine and how often you need to take it.

Pharmacies can give treatment advice about a range of common conditions and minor injuries, such as:

• aches and pains
• sore throat
• coughs
• colds
• flu
• earache
• cystitis
• skin rashes
• teething
• red eye.

Other pharmacy services

Other services that may be available at your local pharmacy:

• you may be referred to a pharmacist for advice after contacting NHS 111 or a GP
• emergency contraception
• asthma inhaler use and advice
• chlamydia screening and treatment
• stop smoking service
• blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar testing
• substance misuse service, including needle and syringe exchange schemes
• weight management service
• flu vaccination.