PHARMACIES in Bury are expanding their role in a move to stop them being classed as "just another" high street shop.

As well as prescriptions they provide services traditionally offered by GPs.

From this month, pharmacists will allow patients to pick up repeat medicines for up to a year without having to go back to their GP.

They will also be instructed to give advice on stopping smoking, weight management and provide treatment for minor ailments such as a sore throat, headlice or diarrhoea. The aim is to make pharmacists a vital part of the NHS.

Naomi Ledwith programme manager medicines management for Bury PCT said: "Pharmacists are highly qualified, and have a vast amount of experience, but up until now the focus has been on simply dispensing medicines. It's true that many pharmacists have always done much more than this, offering help and advice to people, but it hasn't always been officially recognised."

As part of the new contract, all pharmacies will have to provide essential services, including dispensing and repeat dispensing, promotion of healthy lifestyles, help and advice on patient self-care, advice on directing people to other NHS services and disposal of medicines.

Advanced services are ones which pharmacists can aspire to provide, and include reviews of people's medicines, looking at whether they are being used properly and effectively.

Dr. Derek Fletcher, local GP and chairman of the Professional Executive Committee (PEC) added: "This new way of working will set out which services pharmacies will provide, and also means some will be offering services traditionally provided by their GP.

"People will not see things suddenly change overnight, as some services will take a while to introduce, but there are exciting times ahead."