Pharmacists should be prepared to deal with infections and injuries caused by flooding, Public Health England (PHE) has warned.

Skin, throat, chest and eye infections were all associated with flooding and pharmacists could be approached by the public for advice on any of these conditions, Public Health England's consultant in extreme events Angie Bone told C+D on Monday (February 10).

Pharmacists may also need to provide advice on minor injuries sustained during the clean-up, and inform patients how to obtain emergency supplies of medicines or deal with the stress of flooding, Ms Bone said. Pharmacists were "ideally placed" to assist the public by suggesting over the counter treatments for minor ailments and supply emergency medicines in accordance with standard guidelines, she said.

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	If pharmacists had more serious concerns regarding a patient's health, they should consider directing them to NHS 111 or a GP, Ms Bone said. They also needed to be aware of PHE and the Environment Agency's joint leaflet Flooding: advice for the public.

Contractor Richard Whitehouse of Street Pharmacy in Street, Somerset, said he was expecting to see patients with infections as a result of "the scale of the water" in his area.

"The last time it flooded we did see some funny infections after the water receded. We might see them again," he told C+D.

If properties were identified with an outbreak of infection then affected residents might be unable to use their gardens for three months because of the risk of contamination, he added.