The benefits from a national minor
ailment service are clear - it would provide the information and support necessary for patients to manage minor
ailments themselves; improve access to medicines, particularly for people living in rural areas and reduce waiting times and patients anxiety about bothering the doctor.
Think Pharmacy First offers patients who qualify the choice of going straight to their pharmacist - without an appointment - for a consultation where they will be given advice and free over-the-counter medicine, where appropriate, for minor
ailments. They will be referred to a GP where necessary.
Relatively high temperatures combined with damp conditions are one explanation for the reported increase in unseasonal infections and
ailments.
Dr Jenny Harding, Sandwell Primary Care Trust's assistant director for medicines management, said: "This campaign encourages people with these minor
ailments, as well as other common complaints such as indigestion, heartburn, haemorrhoids, headache, skin conditions such as dermatitis, baby problems such as teething and colic, sore throat or flu, to use their local health services appropriately to get the best treatment.
Preexisting stress or psychological
ailments played no role in these CFS cases, the authors say.
And by doing so, you are reducing some of the inflammation, pain, and discomfort from an
ailment such as tendonitis."
Obesity, which is generally defined as being at least 30 pounds heavier than one's ideal weight, is linked to numerous health
ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, asthma, certain types of cancer, gallbladder disease and premature death.
Leo Mackay, deputy VA secretary, quoted a June 2002 report from the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses: "There is increasing objective evidence that a major category of Gulf War illnesses is neurological in character." He added that VA has budgeted up to $20 million in fiscal year 2004--twice what VA has spent in any previous year--for research into Gulf War
ailments.
Mrs Hyde's report to borough councillors attending a meeting of the council's human resources committee says: "I shall try to ensure that accurate figures are produced for the working time lost to the top three
ailments in future reports."
When a company can offer a consumer a different drug to better treat his or her
ailment, it offsets the loss of revenue that occurs when the patent on the existing drug expires.
Tiger bone is ground into a powder and sold by Chinese medicine practitioners internationally as a cure for a variety of
ailments; tiger penis is commonly sold as an aphrodisiac.
The physiotherapy patients from neighbouring areas visited the day-long free camp to get doctors' advice for curing their
ailments and get proper medication and treatment, said a press release.