As autumn settles in, a little preparation can make managing your health easier through the colder months. One useful place to start is with your regular medicines.

Winter can bring disrupted routines, poorer weather, seasonal illness and busy periods around Christmas and New Year. Checking your prescriptions now can help reduce the risk of running short when you need them most.

Check what you have at home

Take a few minutes to look through your regular medicines. Check that you have enough supply, that you know when your next prescription is due and that anything you no longer use is returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal.

If you take several medicines, it can also be a good opportunity to make sure you understand what each one is for and how it should be taken. Speak to your pharmacy team if you are unsure.

Make repeat prescriptions easier

Dears Pharmacy offers several ways to make regular prescriptions simpler to manage.

You can use the Dears Pharmacy app to order repeat prescriptions and track their progress. Our Prescription Ready Service can let you know when your medicines are ready, while selected pharmacies have 24/7 Prescription Lockers so you can collect at a time that suits you.

For people taking several regular medicines, PillPouch can organise medicines into convenient individual pouches and deliver them directly to your home.

Getting these routines established before winter gets busy can mean one less thing to think about later.

Think beyond your prescriptions too

Autumn is also a useful time to prepare more generally for the months ahead.

Our Autumn Health Services bring together support for some of the health needs that become particularly relevant at this time of year, including:

• Winter vaccinations, including flu vaccination
• Help with coughs, colds, sore throats and other minor ailments
• Health checks, including heart health, blood pressure and diabetes-related checks
• Support to help you keep your prescriptions organised and accessible

Dears Pharmacy teams across Lothian, Fife, Glasgow and Tayside provide a wide range of local pharmacy and healthcare services.

Get winter-ready this autumn

A few simple jobs now can make looking after your health considerably easier later. Check your medicines, organise your next prescription and take a look at the other Autumn Health Services available from your local Dears Pharmacy.

Explore our Autumn Health Services and get ready for the months ahead.