AUTUMN HEALTH SERVICES
Prepare for the colder months with practical support from your local pharmacy.
Get ready for winter vaccinations, seasonal illnesses and the months TO COME.
Autumn is a good time to think ahead. Flu and other respiratory infections begin to circulate more widely, coughs and sore throats become more common. Colder weather can make managing everyday health and regular medication a little less convenient.
Your local Dears Pharmacy team offers a focused range of Autumn Health Services to help you prepare for winter and look after your health as the seasons change.
Our Autumn Health Services bring together four areas of support: winter vaccinations, help with common winter ailments, health checks and practical prescription services.
Choose the support that is right for you, with services available across participating Dears Pharmacies in Lothian, Fife, Glasgow and Tayside.
Winter Vaccinations
Protect yourself ahead of winter with seasonal vaccinations from Dears Pharmacy. We offer NHS and private flu vaccinations at selected locations, alongside other winter vaccination options where appropriate. Flu vaccination can reduce your risk of serious illness and help protect you during the colder months.
Health checks
Autumn is a good time to check in on your health. Our Health Check looks at key markers including blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose. Your pharmacy team will explain your results, discuss relevant risk factors and provide practical advice on any next steps that you might need to take.
Winter ailments
Coughs, colds and sore throats become more common through autumn and winter. Your local pharmacy can often help without the need for a GP appointment. Our teams can assess many common minor illnesses, provide advice and treatment where appropriate, and refer you onwards if needed.
PRESCRIPTION WINTER READINESS
Make managing regular medicines easier before winter arrives. Dears Pharmacy offers simple ways to order, organise and collect prescriptions, including our app, Prescription Lockers and PillPouch. Planning ahead can help you stay on top of your medicines when weather, holidays or changing routines make things less convenient.
Download our app for free. Order and track your prescriptions on your phone. Book services and get in touch with us when you need help.
Our free Prescription Lockers are safe, 24/7 prescription collection machines that store your prescription ready for you to collect when convenient.
Never miss and dose with PillPouch powered by Dears Pharmacy. Your medicines in a simple handy pouch and delivered for free across Scotland.
AUTUMN HEALTH TIPS
- Arrange your flu vaccination early: It usually takes around two weeks for your immune response to develop after vaccination, so it is useful to be protected before flu begins circulating widely.
- Use your pharmacy for minor illnesses: Coughs, sore throats, nasal congestion and other common complaints can often be assessed through your local pharmacy without starting with a GP appointment.
- Know your numbers: Understanding your blood pressure, blood glucose and other cardiovascular risk factors can help you make informed decisions about your health.
- Get prescriptions organised: Check regular medication and prescription arrangements before winter weather, holidays or changes to your normal routine make collection less convenient.
How it works
Choose your focus
Decide what would help you prepare for the months ahead — vaccination, support with a seasonal illness, a health check or easier prescription management.
Book Online
Book participating clinical services online or visit your local Dears Pharmacy for services such as NHS Pharmacy First and prescription support.
Your appointment
NEXT STEPS
FAQs
Service availability varies between pharmacies. Some services, including NHS Pharmacy First, are widely available, while vaccinations, diagnostic services and other appointments may only be offered at participating locations. Check the individual service page for current availability.
NHS Scotland determines eligibility for the seasonal flu vaccination programme. If you are eligible, your NHS Health Board should contact you with information about receiving your vaccination.
The way NHS flu vaccinations are arranged differs between Health Boards, so please see our Flu Vaccination page for current information.
Yes. Private flu vaccination is available through Dears Pharmacy for people who are not eligible for an NHS vaccination or who choose to arrange their vaccination privately.
In some cases, yes. We offer private appointments that combine flu with COVID-19 or pneumococcal vaccination where the vaccinations are clinically appropriate for you.
Your healthcare professional will check your vaccination history and suitability before proceeding.
Yes. NHS Pharmacy First allows eligible patients in Scotland to access pharmacy advice and, where appropriate, treatment for many common minor illnesses without first making a GP appointment.
We also provide dedicated sore throat assessment services at participating locations.
The service checks important health markers including blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol and considers your wider cardiovascular risk. Your pharmacy team will discuss your results and provide personalised health and lifestyle advice.
In most cases, no. Many Dears Pharmacy services can be accessed directly.
If your symptoms, test results or clinical assessment suggest that further medical investigation is needed, your pharmacy team will advise you about the appropriate next step.
Depending on the services available to you, you can use the Dears Pharmacy app to order and track prescriptions, collect prescriptions from a secure 24-hour Prescription Locker, or use PillPouch to have regular medicines organised into convenient pouches and delivered to you.
Yes. The campaign brings together different services rather than creating one combined clinical package.
For example, you could arrange your flu vaccination, book a health check and review how you collect your regular prescriptions as separate parts of getting ready for winter.
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