You're 60 and you have a bit of a cold. Who you gonna call?

Over 60 and feeling 'under the weather'? You should visit your pharmacist. As soon as possible.

Eh?

So that you can buy some paracetamol? Or actually regale the person behind the counter with the story of how you developed your cold?

Is there any statistical evidence to suggest that someone aged 62 with a sniffle is any more at risk than someone who's 55? And why the hell would we want to clog up pharmacists' counters with walking wounded? The people who are really at risk are probably 15 or 20 years older and they might struggle to make it to the pharmacy if they were poorly. They'd be better advised to call a GP out or summon an ambulance if things got bad.

In what way is a pharmacist really a substitute for a doctor? And why on earth would we assume that any mild illness in someone aged 60+ is a cause for immediate concern?

Comments

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