Pharmacy Services

• Traditional strep tests require patients to visit a doctor’s office and wait 24-72 hours to find out if they test positive for this nasty bacterial infection.
• In the interim, patients suffer with uncomfortable throat pain and fever while they wait for their results. Rapid strep tests, currently being offered at Coventry Pharmacy can produce a test result in just 10 minutes.
• Your family prescribing pharmacist can even prescribe an antibiotic to patients who test positive. Patients can be assessed, tested, and treated in the pharmacy, without having to ever set foot in the doctor’s office.
• However the test is not a covered through healthcare benefit – it costs $20 to have your throat swabbed in the pharmacy. Advantage to patients is that it saves them time and hassle that would otherwise be associated with lengthy visits to a doctor’s office.

A cold sore usually passes through several stages: Tingling and itching. Many people feel an itching, burning or tingling sensation around their lips for a day or so before a small, hard, painful spot appears, and blisters erupt.

Patient needs to start antiviral therapy as soon as first signs and symptoms of cold sore appear or felt. Your family pharmacist can prescribe cold sore antivirals on the spot after quick assessment and it will save your time and hassle to go through long waiting time in doctor’s office.

Oral thrush is a fungal infection, also called oral candidiasis, is an infection in the mouth and throat. Rarely painful, it is described as creamy white lesions on the inner cheeks, gums, tongue, and back of the throat.

The infection can be passed back and forth between a mother and her breastfeeding infant. Women whose breasts are infected may experience symptoms such as red or sensitive nipples, shiny or flaky skin on the areolas, unusual pain while nursing or between feedings, or deep stabbing pains within the breasts.

Causes and triggers:
Oral thrush is a yeast infection caused by the fungus Candida albicans. While it is a naturally occurring fungus in our mouths, it can at times multiply and cause an infection, certain antibiotics may contribute towards oral thrush. It is the same fungus which also responsible for
causing diaper rash in babies.

Treatment:
Mild cases of thrush usually resolve on their own within a few days. If the infection persists, it can be treated with a prescription antifungal medication and your Coventry Prescribing Pharmacist can assess and prescribe you antifungal as per assessment. It is very important to continue treatment for prescribed period.

Allergies are an overreaction of immune to normally harmless substances known as allergens. When a susceptible person is first exposed to an allergen, an immune response is activated. Later re-exposure may result in the release of substances, including histamine, triggering a range of reactions felt by the body.

Allergies vary in intensity and can take many forms including atopic dermatitis (eczema), asthma, and allergic rhinitis and can be treated and or prevented by medicinal and non-medicinal measures.

Causes:
Allergies are mostly influenced by genetic predisposition. If one or both parents suffer from allergies, their children are more likely to develop allergies. 
There are two types of allergic rhinitis:

• Seasonal (acute): occurs at specific times of the year like in spring when ice melt and trees shred pollens, is a reaction to airborne allergens (e.g., ragweed, tree and grass pollen).
• Perennial (chronic): occurs year-round, usually a reaction to indoor allergens (e.g., dust mites, pet dander, mound).

Symptoms:
Allergy sufferers may experience one or several of the following symptoms:

• runny nose with clear discharge
• sneezing and itchy nose
• nasal or sinus congestion
• sinus headache
• postnasal drip
• scratchy throat
• red, inflamed skin and mucous membranes
• red, watery and itchy eyes
• difficulty breathing, wheezing
• mild to moderate cough
• asthma (in severe cases)
• hives
• anaphylactic shock

Treatment:
Your Coventry Prescribing Pharmacist can do assessment and prescribe you medication as per your assessment.

Eczema, also called as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic skin problem that causes dry, itchy, scaly, red skin on various areas of the body.

It can be associated with a secondary bacterial infection includes darkening of the skin around the eyes and/or an extra fold of skin under the eye. If gets worse, blisters and fissures may develop, and the skin may become thicker from repeated scratching. Eczema usually start in children, often improves with age, and appears to have a genetic component.

Causes and triggers:
In most cases, eczema is caused by an abnormality in the skin’s protective barrier. As a result, the skin becomes dehydrated more easily, and lacks adequate protection from allergens, microbes and irritants, causing itching. As for the visible skin lesions, they are a direct result of itching.

Factors contributing toward eczema:

• Cold or dry air
• Sweating
• Stress or anxiety
• Rapid temperature changes
• Exposure to certain chemical products (soap, detergents, perfumes, etc.)
• Wearing garments made of wool or synthetic fibers such as polyester
• Allergens

Treatment:
Since eczema is a chronic condition, symptoms may worsen then improve periodically. While some people can go years without having any symptoms, eczema is not curable. To decrease the itch intensity and prevent new flares, it is important to keep the skin hydrated and your Coventry Pharmacist can also prescribe certain medications to improve itchiness and worsening of asthma.

Hemorrhoids are cushions of tissue containing swollen blood vessels located in the wall of the lower rectum and anus. Hemorrhoids can protrude out of the anus, in which case you may be able to see or feel them. Hemorrhoids can cause itching, pain, or bleeding after a bowel movement. Hemorrhoids are most common during pregnancy and after giving birth, and mainly affect those between the ages of 45 and 65 years.

Causes and triggers:
Swollen blood vessels in the rectum and anus are often caused by an increase in pressure in that area of the body. Pregnancy, constipation, diarrhea, and frequent heavy lifting may lead to hemorrhoids.

Treatment:
Hemorrhoids usually resolve on their own within a few days. However, you may need prescription medication to resolve your symptoms including itchiness, pain and bleeding. You Coventry Pharmacist can help you for your prescription needs after necessary assessment.