Choose a check
- Blood Pressure EvaluationA free reading, with both numbers explained before you go.
- Diabetes MonitoringA finger-prick blood glucose screen that takes around 1 minute.
- Stroke Risk AssessmentGo through your risk factors and get personalised advice.
- Weight Management SupportA confidential chat that ends in a realistic plan.
Why a quick reading is worth your time
Several common conditions stay quiet for years. The Heart Foundation warns that you can have high blood pressure without knowing, because there are no obvious signs. Diabetes Australia reports that type 2 diabetes often goes without symptoms. A reading is often the first clue.
These conditions are also linked. The Stroke Foundation names high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and an irregular heartbeat as stroke risk factors, and suggests seeing your doctor or pharmacist about them. That is why pharmacy health checks link to one another: one result often leads to a useful second look.
Weight ties into the same picture. Government health advice links excess weight to a higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure, which is why weight support sits alongside the screening checks here.
When your result means a GP visit
These are screening checks, not diagnoses. A pharmacy reading shows a moment in time and cannot confirm a condition on its own. Make an appointment with your GP if:
- your blood pressure or blood glucose result comes back high
- you have symptoms such as excessive thirst, passing more urine than usual or cuts that are slow to heal
- you are 45 or over and have not had a Heart Health Check, which the Heart Foundation recommends as a regular review with your doctor
- your weight is a worry, or keeping it steady feels like a struggle
Emergency signs: a drooping face, arms that cannot both be lifted or slurred speech can mean a stroke. Call 000 straight away rather than heading to the pharmacy.
Getting the most from a visit
- Wear a top with sleeves that roll up easily, since a blood pressure cuff wraps around the upper arm.
- Hold off on coffee and cigarettes for 30 minutes before your blood pressure is measured.
- Bring earlier results or a home monitoring diary if you have them, so the pharmacist can compare.
- Take any results you are given along to your next GP appointment.
Health checks in Abermain: common questions
Do I need a referral?
No. You can pop in without seeing your doctor first and ask at the counter. If you have earlier results from your GP or a home monitor, bring them along so the new reading has something to compare with.
Can I combine two checks?
Yes. Ask the pharmacist when you arrive. Diabetes Australia counts high blood pressure after age 45 as a type 2 risk factor, so those two results make sense side by side.
How often is a blood pressure reading recommended?
The Heart Foundation suggests every adult from 18 gets a reading at least once every two years. If a result has been high, follow the timing your GP gives you instead.
Vaccinations, medication services and more are on our health services page.
Find out where you stand
Drop by Abermain Chemist at 193 Cessnock Road for any of these free checks. We are open Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings, and the pharmacist will talk you through what your result means before you leave. Bring a list of any medicines you take, as it helps put the reading in context.