Sore Throat: When a Pharmacist Can Help and When Antibiotics Are Needed

Most sore throats do not need antibiotics

The great majority of sore throats are viral. They hurt, they can be miserable for several days, and they get better on their own. Antibiotics do nothing for a viral sore throat and taking them anyway contributes to resistance.

A minority are bacterial and do benefit from treatment. Telling the difference is what the Pharmacy First assessment is for.

How the pharmacist decides

We use a recognised scoring system that looks at whether you have a fever, whether there is pus on the tonsils, whether the glands in your neck are swollen and tender, and whether you have a cough. Fewer of those features points towards a virus; more of them points towards a bacterial infection.

Where the score and the examination support it, the pharmacist can supply an antibiotic directly. Where they do not, you will get clear advice on managing the symptoms and what would make it worth coming back.

What helps in the meantime

Regular paracetamol or ibuprofen taken properly does more than most people expect. Lozenges and medicated sprays give short-term relief. Warm drinks help; there is no evidence that any particular remedy shortens the illness.

Come back or seek urgent help if you cannot swallow fluids, if breathing becomes difficult, or if you develop a rash with a high temperature.

Where to come

Walk into Village Green Pharmacy at 1095–1097 Warwick Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham B27 6QT, any time we are open. Late evenings are usually quieter than mornings.