Stop Relying on Doctor Google! Get Expert Advice and Treatment for Minor Ailments from Your Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacist

Despite the occasional cold or stuffy nose, my boys and I tend to be pretty healthy and I’m very happy about that. Considering the fact that the last time our family had to visit the emergency room, the wait was over six hours, it’s not an experience I enjoy. And most of the time, going to a walk-in medical clinic isn’t much better.

But of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still health concerns that I’d like to see a doctor about! It does mean that unless there’s a serious problem, trying to deal with it on my own is easier than braving the long waits at a doctor. And like so many others, that often used to mean that I’d turn to Doctor Google.

Cold sores were one of those medical issues that I wasn’t too concerned with seeing a doctor about. Instead, I kept a tube of Abreva in the bathroom, but often I wouldn’t realize I was about to have an outbreak in time and Abreva doesn’t do too much once the cold sore’s appeared. I tried almost every online remedy I could find to speed healing, from holding an ice cube on the sore to dabbing it with vanilla. Some helped slightly, but others seemed to make the sores even worse!

I also found that while researching my symptoms online sometimes helped me to find some temporary relief from an ailment, Doctor Google sometimes left me more panicked than comforted. A vague symptom like stomach pain hardly seems worth bothering the doctor about, but because it’s a symptom of so many different things, trying to pin down the cause online can be next to impossible. Even when completing a fairly detailed symptom analysis online, everything from food poisoning to colon cancer is suggested as a possible cause!

Luckily, I’ve since learned that Saskatchewan residents have an alternative to Doctor Google when we don’t want to head to a medical clinic or hospital. I’ve always trusted my local Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist for advice when choosing over-the-counter medications or when filling a prescription. But I’ve now learned that in Saskatchewan, along with some other lucky provinces, my pharmacist is actually able to assess my condition and, if appropriate, write me a prescription for various ailments as well!

For someone like me that suffers from cold sores, that means that instead of only being able to obtain over-the-counter medications, I can look into using a prescription treatment such as Valtrex to speed healing and prevent future outbreaks. Until recently I only had maybe two cold sore outbreaks a year, but they seem to have been getting more frequent so I’m very excited about potentially changing that.

And for someone like my niece, who has suffered from eczema since she was a toddler, seeing a pharmacist means that she can obtain the Fucidin H cream she uses regularly to treat her symptoms without her parents having to make a doctor’s appointment just for a prescription refill. Saving that time means quicker relief for her and less hassle for her family, something all of them appreciate.

For more information and to get treatment advice for your family’s minor ailments, stop by your local Shoppers Drug Mart and speak with your pharmacist. There’s no need to rely on Doctor Google for home remedies or an ineffective diagnosis when expert knowledge is so easily accessible. And getting effective treatment for your issue doesn’t have to mean a day in the doctor’s waiting room either! From seasonal allergies to joint and muscle pain, your Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist can help you find the best treatment to feel better fast!