Travelling to a different country should be an enjoyable experience. Here in the UK we’re routinely vaccinated against a number of diseases and illnesses that At Aspire Pharmacy we’re here to keep you as healthy as possible while you’re travelling. Whether you’re away for work or holiday, check to see if you need any vaccines or medication to make your trip as safe as possible.

Vaccines have been used for numerous years to help protect us against many diseases that would otherwise wreak havoc on our bodies. Illnesses such as Polio have been eradicated for many years thanks to the widespread use of vaccines. Vaccines work by introducing a weakened or inactive part of an antigen, specific to the illness that you are trying to protect against, which forces your body into an immune response and means that your immune system can create and store antibodies against that illness. If your body ever comes into contact with that illness it is already well prepared to fight it off and most likely you will never even know it happened. 

Some of the Vaccines we provide are:

Our Aspire Pharmacy health screening is the best way to take control of your own health. You can choose our pre-set package or come in for a consultation and we can tailor make a health screen just for you!

Our pre-set cardio-vascular health screen includes checking your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. Once these individual results are attained, they are compiled together to give you a 10 year risk assessment of the chance of you suffering from a stroke, heart attack or vascular dementia. This is a great basic health check to have done and can be used to diagnose or prevent a serious health condition, especially useful in our current times where seeing a doctor face to face can be very difficult. 

Blood tests are one of the most widely used methods to aid doctors in the diagnostic process for many health conditions and ailments. They can be used to assess general health, check for infections and are even used to detect more serious medical conditions such as cancer. 

A blood test involves taking a sample of blood, usually from a vein in your arm, then being sent off for testing. Your results are normally sent back to your doctor where you can agree on a treatment plan accord to the results that have been found.

We do both NHS and private blood tests, whether its something that is deemed necessary by your GP or because you decide to take control of your own health, we can help with a variety of testing options.

Private blood test prices vary depending of which test or combination of tests is being carried out. Come in store or give us a call for more specific prices.

All pharmacists are very well versed in the different types of medications available and what they are used for. A prescribing pharmacist undergoes further training in order to be able to diagnose and prescribe treatments for a number of ailments, all without the need to visit your GP. The pharmacist can test for urine infections as well as diagnose chest, skin and ear infections, amongst other conditions, and prescribe the relevant antibiotics as needed. There is no appointment needed for this service which means you can walk in any time that suits you for a face to face consultation.

We can also help if you need an urgent supply of an inhaler or any other regular medication and we can help diagnose and treat a range of sexual health illnesses. If you are 24 years old or younger some of our sexual health services will be completely free of charge.

Below are some of the most common infections that we treat and how to identify them:

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): Some of the symptoms to look out for include;

• Needing to urinate more for frequently or with more urgency
• Pain or burning sensation while urinating
• Smelly or cloud urine
• Passing blood while urinating
• Lower abdominal pain
• General feel of tiredness or unwell
• In older people, changes in behaviour such as severe confusion or agitation.

If you think you may be suffering from a UTI you can bring a sample of urine in a sealed sample pot for testing.

Chest Infections: Some of the symptoms to look out for include;

• A chesty cough, you may notice green or yellow mucus
• Wheezing and shortness of breath
• Chest pain or general discomfort
• A high temperature, 38C or above
• A headache
• Aching muscles
• Tiredness

Skin infections: Some of the symptoms to look out for include;

• Pus or fluid leaking from a cut or wound
• Red skin around the injury site
• A red streak that runs from the cut or wound towards your heart
• A pimple or yellowish crust on top
• Sores that look like blisters
• Pain that gets worse after a few days
• Swelling that gets worse after a few days
• A fever
• A cut or wound that hasn’t healed after 10 days

Ear infections: Some of the symptoms to look out for include;

• A pain inside the ear
• A high temperature, 38C or higher
• Being sick
• A lack of energy
• Difficulty hearing
• Discharge coming out of the ear
• A feeling of pressure or fullness inside the ear
• Itching and irritation in and around the ear
• Scaly skin in and around the ear

Young children and babies

• Rub or pull on their ear
• Have no reaction to some sounds
• Be irritable or restless
• Lack of appetite
• Keep losing their balance

If you are experiencing any other symptoms or need medication not mentioned on here please call us on 0208 300 2008 so we can further assist you.

NHS

We carryout all blood tests that are requested by the GP. Simply bring the blood test form and leave the rest to us. Our on-site phlebotomist will collect your blood sample, send the sample to the hospital laboratory for analysis and your GP will have your results within 48 hours (usually 24 hours).

Our NHS phlebotomy clinic is open:

We can conduct the blood test outside of these hours including weekends, however you will need to book an appointment so we ask that you call the pharmacy on 0208 300 2008 to arrange.

The cost of the blood test is £8 per visit (regardless of the number of forms/tests or samples needed. We have kept this cost to a minimum in order to assist our community to have access to such services without the hassle of having to visit a hospital or arrange an appointment.

At home blood tests- Our phlebotomist can attend your home to conduct a blood test and will arrange for the samples to reach the hospital laboratory and the GP will have the results again within 48 hours. The cost of this service is £50 per visit.

Private

Not feeling well or want to take control of your own health, come and speak to one our prescribers, discuss your health concerns and we can arrange for a private blood tests tailored to your health needs. We use a private laboratory to analyse the samples and the results come back to us within 24-36 hours. We will then discuss your results with you as well as advising on further action that is needed, if any.

We can test for individual parameters or test as part of specific packages. Examples are

• Diabetes check (HbA1C)
• Liver Function Test (LFT)
• Prostate Specific Antigen Test (PSA)
• Urea and Electrolytes (Kidney check- U & Es)
• Cholesterol check (TC, LDL, HDL and triglycerides)
• Thyroid Profile
• Full Blood Count (FBC)
• Hepatitis antibodies
• Blood type

We provide a countless list of blood test packages that can also be tailored to your individual need. Below are our most popular and most frequently requested blood tests, feel free to contact us on 0208 300 2008 to ask about any blood test you wish to undertake privately.

• Diabetes check (HbA1C)
• Liver Function Test (LFT)
• Prostate Specific Antigen Test (PSA)
• Urea and Electrolytes (Kidney check- U & Es)
• Cholesterol check (TC, LDL, HDL and triglycerides)
• Thyroid Profile
• Full Blood Count (FBC)
• Hepatitis antibodies
• Blood type

Call us on 0208 300 2008 to book an appointment or visit us as a walk in. Close to mainline Station Sidcup with trains frequently to and from London as well as close to local bus routes to and from Bexley (DA5), Bexleyheath(DA6 DA7 DA8) , Swanley (BR5 BR8), Erith (DA1) , Orpington (BR1 BR2 BR5), Eltham (SE9), New Eltham, Chislehurst and Bromley (BR1).