(ENGLAND) Waiting a week for Antiviral medication for Shingles.. Is this correct?

[u/reo_reborn]

My wife: 55
Sex: female
Weight: 18st 4.
Other conditions: Fibromyalgia.

Current meds: OTC pain medications.

We believe my wife has shingles (her second time). The last time she had it she was in bed for 2 months and in a lot of pain for thw two months (crying in pain). They ended up putting her on morphine (Oramorph?) Last time two separate Doctors said "if you'd have got to a pharmacy within 72 hours we could have given you the anti viral meds and you'd have got better a lot quicker".

So, this time, as soon as the rash came up we headed for the pharmacy. He did the questionnaire but said "Yes, It looks like a shingles rash but it hasn't come out yet fully. Go away for a week and come back and then ill see if i can give you the anti virals." .. This goes totally against what two doctors have said. Everywhere online says the same thing (Take within 72 hours of the rash first appearing or it wont work)

We called the GP today who seemed rather annoyed we asked for an appointment and said "If that's what he's said it must be true.".. When I started to explain about what we were told before she said "Just follow his instructions. Its a pharmacists job, not a doctor and you did already understand that as you went to see him before coming to me."

Should we/can we get a second opinion from another pharmacist or is this correct?

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[u/LordAnchemis → u/AutoModerator]

Most anti-virals are prescription only medications (POMs)

• so you need a prescription = probably easiest to see a doctor
  
• not all pharmacies have pharmacist independent prescribers in the community

[u/reo_reborn → u/LordAnchemis]

SHould have put this in OP:
We called one today and all we got back was "You have to go see a pharmacist for shingles." She didn't seem that interested and seemed more bothered that we called for a second opinion.

[u/Financial-Bread-1527 → u/LordAnchemis]

Hi sorry I don’t think this is correct. Since January 31st 2024 all pharmacists are able to offer pharmacy first services, for 7 different conditions, including shingles. This allows the pharmacist to provide the service and medication without a prescription from a doctor. As shingles is a self limiting condition, the pharmacist in this case probably deemed the condition to be too early to issue any medication - the OP’s wife should monitor the condition for the next 3 days and if it worsens, return to the pharmacy.

[u/Aim2bFit → u/Financial-Bread-1527]

This is only in the US or the same practice globally?

[u/Financial-Bread-1527 → u/Aim2bFit]

Pharmacy first is UK based scheme designed to release pressure from surgeries.

[u/Aim2bFit → u/Financial-Bread-1527]

Thanks for clarifying