Pharmacy opening hours over the festive period

Ahead of the Christmas period (24 December – 3 January), people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes are being reminded how to access health services.

Pharmacies across the region will have limited opening hours over the Christmas period and many will be closed from Friday 23 December to Wednesday 28 December, and again over the New Year period.

Selected community pharmacies will be open over the Christmas period. You can find your local community pharmacy opening times below:

Bedfordshire Community Pharmacies

Luton Community Pharmacies

Milton Keynes Community Pharmacies

Pharmacists are qualified health professionals who can offer advice and medicines for a range of ailments. And, if symptoms suggest it’s something more serious, they have the right training to make sure patients get the help they need.

With Christmas around the corner, it is important that people review the contents of their medicine cabinet. A properly stocked medicine cabinet can help you treat many common illnesses and ailments at home.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society recommends you include the following in your medicine cabinet:

• A first-aid kit, including bandages, plasters, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash solution, sterile dressings, medical tape for dressings and tweezers
• Pain relief such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen for aches, pains and high temperatures
• Oral rehydration salts to replace lost minerals and fluid after a fever or vomiting and diarrhoea
• Anti-diarrhoea tablets to relieve symptoms of diarrhoea, although these will not help with the underlying cause
• Antihistamines which can help with allergies
• Indigestion relief remedies

If people do feel unwell over the bank holiday weekend, they can check their symptoms and get access to advice using 111.nhs.uk online or by calling 111. NHS 111 is a free service which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. NHS 111 will be able to assess you and point you to the right service for you, based on your symptoms – whether that be to a GP, A&E or self-care – and can arrange a call back from a nurse, doctor or other trained health professional should you need it, to get you the support that you need.