It is estimated that one in three adults in the UK have high blood pressure. Unfortunately, most of the time high blood pressure does not have any obvious symptoms to let you know you are suffering from it. For most of these people there is no identifiable cause for their high blood pressure. It is thought in these cases to be related to lifestyle amongst other factors. There is only one way to find out if you have high blood pressure. A simple measurement in our pharmacy can give you the answer you need.

Two thirds of the UK population suffer from a cholesterol level that is above 5mmol/l. While we all like to think that we are taking care of ourselves the statistics can tell a different story. More than 6mmol/l is consideredhigh but government guidelines suggest a targetlevel below 5mmol/l. Men on average have a level of 5.5mmol/l and women 5.6mmol/l. There is a great deal of evidence that high cholesterol levels can cause narrowing of thearteries (atherosclerosis), heart attacks and strokes. The risk of coronary heart disease also rises as the blood’s cholesterol level increases. If other risk factors, such as high blood pressure and smoking, are present, the risk increases even more. So it is a serious issue for all. We can measure your cholesterol level accurately in our pharmacy during a short and painless consultation. While it may not appear so, it is a complex process with very advanced technology so we apply a small charge. Please ask our pharmacy team for information.

Two million people in the UK are living with diabetes and learning to manage it as part of their lives. Many more than this have diabetes and don’t know about it. They are suffering from symptoms such as being thirsty, frequent urination, weight loss and tiredness amongst others without really doing anything about it. What is diabetes? Type 1 and type 2 Diabetes are the most common forms. The causes of both types are different, but both result in too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. Diabetes can increase the risk of developing other conditions, such as heart disease. It can be managed effectively and many people with diabetes lead a healthy, active life. The important thing to know is that if diagnosed early and you take the right steps you can reduce the risk of developing any complications greatly. We can measure your blood glucose levels accurately in our pharmacy during a short and painless consultation. While it may not appear so, it is a complex process with very advanced technology so we apply a small charge. Please ask our pharmacy team for information.

During our opening hours we will be able to provide a dispensing service for your NHS prescriptions, whether it is from your Doctor, Dentist or Prescribing Nurse. In addition we dispense private prescriptions including veterinary prescriptions. In the unlikely event that we do not have a particular medicine in stock, usually we will obtain it for you on the same day.

If you have out of date or unwanted medicines, both prescription or over the counter drugs, don’t bin them or flush them. You can take your unwanted or out of date medicines back to your pharmacy for safe disposal, and it’s completely FREE. Each year enormous quantities of unused and expired medications are dumped into bins or flushed down toilets and sinks. The effects on the environment and human health are unclear but evidence is pointing to the presence of chemicals from prescriptions and over-the-counter medications in soil, drinking water and the surrounding environment. Just as proper medication administration is important, so is safe and cautious disposal.

If you’ve had unprotected sex or you're worried about having had a contraception mishap, this service will allow you to buy the morning after pill from Nash Chemists. This service is available to over 16s that have had unprotected sex within the last 3 days (72 hours). Before you buy an emergency contraceptive pill, a private consultation with the pharmacist is required where they will ask a few questions to see if it's suitable for you. If you think you may need emergency contraception it's important to act quickly - within hours rather than days.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common & distressing problem. Treatment is available through our ED service, which allows some patients aged between 35-75 to receive medication directly from Nash Chemists without having to see their GP first. In a Private consultation, the pharmacist will ask some questions to ensure that you fall into the groups of patients that can be treated on the service. As ED is a symptom experienced by many men who may have underlying heart disease, it is also recommended that all patients should have an assessment of their risks (which includes high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, & diabetes). There are three medications available; Viagra, Cialis, & Levitra. The pharmacist will discuss the pros and cons of each and together you can make an informed decision to which treatment is most suitable.Please contact us for more information about this service or to book an appointment.

Not only can we collect your prescription from the surgery on your behalf, we can also offer to deliver your medication to your home. This service is available to all customersFREE of charge, so please contact us for more information.

From time to time you know you’ve got a minor ailment like a cold, cough, hayfever or diarrhoea and just want some quick, convenient advice about which treatment will help you feel better.

As soon as you feel or see the symptoms for lots of common ailments, you can get advice and help, whether your little one has nappy rash or you’ve got an annoying headache.

Just take a look at some of the common problems the Nash Chemists team can help with:

 

As your local healthcare specialist we are committed to help you stay healthy, and not just treat you if you are ill. We can not only give you expert advice on your medicines, but also on nutrition and maintaining a healthy lifestyle

Every six minutes somebody in the UK dies from a heart attack. There are easy, everyday changes that you can do to help keep your heart healthy and reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Your lifestyle has a strong impact on the health of your heart and the risk of developing one of the leading causes of death for both men and women in the UK - Cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is much more than just what we know as a heart attack. It is a wider term for a state in which the heart doesn’t work well enough to meet the needs of the body. Angina is the most common form of heart disease and other conditions include heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms. These conditions develop over a period of years and can’t be cured. Looking after your heart every day is the most reliable way to ensure your heart stays healthy. We can measure your cholesterol, blood glucose levels, blood pressure and body mass index our pharmacy during a short and painless consultation. While it may not appear so, it is a complex process with very advanced technology so we apply a small charge. Please ask our pharmacy team for information.

Here at Nash Chemists we offer a NHS Service called a Medicines Use Review in which you can have a private consultation free of charge with your pharmacist. If you are experiencing side-effects or are unsure of exactly what your medicines are used for or the best time to take them, this is an ideal opportunity to ask the expert advice of your pharmacist. The service is designed so that you can get the best from your medicines. The Medicines Use Review is carried out annually for patients registered with the pharmacy, so if you have not had yours this year, please contact us to arrange an appointment or alternatively just visit us for more information. This service is FREE on the NHS and appointments are not always necessary.

Meningitis is a common illness in some parts of the world, and unprotected travellers are at increased risk of infection. This includes travelling for holiday (especially “backpackers”), on business in remote locations, and pilgrimages (such as Hajj, where vaccination may be a visa requirement). This vaccine provides protection against other strains of meningitis bacteria, in addition to any childhood vaccines you may have received in the UK. Please contact us for more information about this service or to book an appointment.

Influenza (flu) vaccination provides good protection against seasonal flu, and is available from Nash Chemists. Flu vaccination is very safe and offers benefit not only to you, but your family and workmates by reducing the spread of infection. Please pop in and the pharmacist will be pleased to advise you further.

The NHS New Medicine Service can help you if you have been newly prescribed a medicine to thin the blood or to treat one of these conditions: asthma / Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), diabetes (Type 2), high blood pressure. It is an open conversation between you and the pharmacist to discuss any concerns you might have about your medicines – for example side effects. It can take place over the telephone or in a consultation room at the pharmacy. The first consultation will probably take about 15 minutes. You’ll get a telephone call a couple of weeks later (or meet at the pharmacy) to resolve any outstanding issues – or you can at that point be referred back to your GP if you decide you need more help. So if you have been newly prescribed a medicine for the reason stated above, bring in your prescription to Nash Chemists and we can sign you onto this service. This service is FREE on the NHS and appointments are not always necessary.

This service involves Nash Chemists retaining your repeat slip, then when you need to reorder your medicines you simply contact us either in person, by phone, fax or online. We will take your order and forward your slip to your doctor. When your prescription has been issued by the doctor’s surgery we will collect it on your behalf and have it dispensed and ready for you to collect from the pharmacy. This will save you having to make a separate journey to the surgery and prevent you having to wait in the pharmacy for your prescription to be dispensed.  We collect prescriptions from all surgeries in Hemel Hempstead. If your surgery is not in Hemel Hempstead we can also make special arrangements to have your prescription sent to us. To order your repeat prescription click here Not only can we collect your prescription from the surgery on your behalf, we can also offer to deliver your medication to your home. This service is available to all customers FREE of charge, so please contact us for more information.

At Nash Chemists we understand giving up smoking can be a real uphill struggle. We know that many people want to quit so they can enjoy the health and financial benefits which stopping smoking will bring. But we also realise those incentives on their own are often not enough to get you through. If this sounds like you, then please let us help and sign up for our Stop Smoking Service. Once you’ve registered for this service we will be able to tell you about all the nicotine replacement products and other stop smoking medicines that are available, and recommend which product or combination of products could work best for you. In addition to this if you are exempt from prescription charges then these products are completely free of charge. However if you do pay for your prescriptions then the supply of two weeks’ worth of product is still only the charge of a NHS prescription. So as well as feeling the health benefits, you can start saving money straight away. Get free support, expert advice & the tools to help you stop smoking for good. This service is FREE on the NHS and appointments are not always necessary.

Our pharmacy now offers a convenient pharmacist-led Travel Health clinic. If you are travelling abroad, why not pop in and ask one of our friendly staff about medicines and vaccinations you might require when visiting your chosen destination. We administer all types of travel vaccines without the need for a private prescription from your GP. These include: • Hepatitis A • Hepatitis B • DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio) • Typhoid • Rabies • Meningitis • Cholera • Japanese Encephalitis • Tick-borne Encephalitis Some of these are required to be granted entry into many countries in Asia, South America and Africa. Our appointed pharmacist will be happy to advise you on your individual requirements. Medicines to prevent malaria are equally available: • Malarone • Malarone Paediatric (children from the age of 2) • Doxycycline • Lariam • Chloroquine • Paludrine Do not take any risks and protect yourself against malaria when travelling to risk areas in Asia, Africa and South America. Our trained pharmacist will be able to guide you on which medicine you require for your chosen destination.

Losing weight can improve your health in many ways. Just losing 10% of your current weight can make a difference in the way you feel on a daily basis. Here are some other ways losing weight will benefit your health:

• Increased energy level
• Lower your cholesterol levels
• Reduce your blood pressure
• Reduced aches and pains
• Improved mobility
• Improve your breathing
• Help you sleep better and wake more rested
• Prevention of angina, chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart
• Decreases your risk of sudden death from heart disease or stroke
• Prevention of Type 2 diabetes
• Improved blood sugar levels

We provide a range of weight loss programs within the pharmacy. Depending on what is best suited to your personal needs, we can help you lose weight by using three different methods;
1) Personalised diets & support.   2) Meal replacements.                   3) Slimming aids.
So if you want expert help in losing weight then please contact us for more information about this service or to book an appointment.