If this is the service I think it is, Lloyds Pharmacy receives £28.00 for every patient they see to offer advice on medication, how and when to take it and how it works. It has been offered in Lloyds chemists for at least 6 years, because I used to have to make an appointment to see the pharmacist on a Saturday afternoon, as she was too busy during the week to give up a 30 minute slot to see me. The time of the appointment made no difference to me and because she was so very knowledgeable, I used to ask to see her on an annual basis (although at the time I didn't realise how much the fee to the nhs was). My friend is asthmatic, and she has had a similar appointment with her pharmacist in the last 6 months (and this is how I know what the fee is), but my friend is very well informed and she didn't feel the fee was worth the 10 minutes of pretty useless information she received, and won't be taking up the offer again! On the whole, I think this service is designed to run alongside the GP surgery/hospital specialists as pharmacists tend to be better informed on when and how to take certain medications and if and how they conflict with each other. Simple info like, 'Take this 20 minutes before your breakfast,' and, 'This works better if taken in the evening,' aren't always included in the dosage instructions or on the bottle/box.
Hope this helps.
