When to refer
You should refer a customer to the pharmacist if they:
- Experience sudden hearing loss
- Are a child under 12 years of age
- Show signs of glue ear or otitis media
- Have a suspected foreign body trapped in their ear
- Have severe pain – this is likely to be an infection
- Have ringing in their ears or dizziness – these indicate potential inner ear problems
- Have tried products already with no success
- Notice no improvement in ear wax removal after three days of treatment
- Are suffering from otitis externa with severe symptoms, see no improvement after treatment, or if there is foul-smelling discharge.
For more information on this topic, you can:
- Use your Counter Intelligence Plus training guide
- Visit NHS Choices – ear ache
- Visit Action on Hearing Loss or call: 0808 8080123