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When to refer

Get your pharmacist involved if a customer reports any of the following:  

  • A high temperature (above 38°C) that does not respond to medication, such as paracetamol
  • Very severe pain
  • Breathing problems
  • Difficulty swallowing that means dehydration is a possibility
  • A muffled voice
  • A high-pitched noise when breathing (this is known as stridor) 
  • Drooling
  • A sore throat that has not improved after a week.  

Certain patient groups should also always be referred because they are more at risk of complications:  

  • Anyone with HIV, AIDS, leukaemia, or aplastic anaemia
  • Anyone with diabetes
  • Individuals with a spleen that has been removed or does not work properly  
  • Any patient on chemotherapy, immunosuppressants (most commonly because of an organ transplant) or on a medicine that can cause blood disorders (e.g. neutropenia and agranulocytosis).   

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