Cunningham's Pharmacy are proud to operate Pharmashop 24: Ireland's first and only pharmacy vending machine. This service is available 24 Hours a day at our Dublin Road Store. Our vending machine stocks 60 products including:

• sexual health
• toiletries
• beauty
• first aid
• baby care

Don’t get caught short again. Please note: At this time due to PSI regulations our vending machine does not stock any medication. If you are in Athlone or it's environs our Pharmashop 24 vending machine is located here.

Extra care is necessary when taking several different medicines. This is particularly true for patients with visual or cognitive impairment.

Blister packs make it simple and easy to take the right medicines at the right time by dividing your tablets into separately sectioned blisters, each marked with the time of day when the tablets should be taken.

This can improve your medication adherence and reduce errors. Caregivers can also easily check that the right medicines have been taken in a timely manner.

Blister packs can help if you are

• Struggling to organise medicines.
• Finding it difficult to remember when to take your medicines.
• Helping to look after someone else.
• Recently home from hospital and suddenly have a lot more tablets to take.
• Looking after someone who is visually impaired.
• On a complex medication regime.

Hypertension is the foremost risk factor for cardiovascular events globally and affects around a third of adults.

High blood pressure can affect people of all ages but does not always have symptoms. Untreated, high blood pressure may lead to conditions like heart disease or a stroke.

Monitoring your blood pressure for 24 hours can help work out if its consistently high. This would be particularly useful if you:

• Have family members with a history of high blood pressure.
• Suspect you have high or borderline high blood pressure.
• Experience variable blood pressure.
• Have conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol.
• Already take medicines to reduce your blood pressure.
• Experience blood pressure that is hard to control.
• Want to check for Atrial Fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).

For convenience and proximity reasons, community pharmacies play an increasingly important role in hypertension screening and monitoring. Our service involves fitting you with a device to wear, which includes a cuff around your arm that will measure your blood pressure for 24 hours.

Blood Pressure Category	Systolic mm Hg (upper number)		Diastolic mm Hg (lower number)
Normal	Less than 120	and	Less than 80
Elevated	120-129	and	Less than 80
High Blood Pressure – Hypertension Stage 1	130-139	or	80-89
High Blood Pressure – Hypertension Stage 2	Higher than 140	or	Higher than 90
Hypertensive Crisis	Higher than 180	and/or	Higher than 120

 

Blood Pressure Check

A blood pressure check is a simple, quick, and non-invasive procedure to measure the force of blood against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. It involves placing an inflatable cuff around your upper arm, which is then tightened and slowly released while a device measures your systolic (pressure when the heart beats) and diastolic (pressure when the heart rests) blood pressure.

Why You Should Get a Blood Pressure Check

1. Early Detection of Hypertension: Regular checks can identify high blood pressure (hypertension) early, a condition often without symptoms but a significant risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
2. Prevention of Serious Health Issues: Monitoring blood pressure helps prevent complications like heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and vision loss.
3. Monitoring Existing Conditions: If you have conditions like hypertension or heart disease, regular checks help manage and adjust treatment plans effectively.
4. Assessing Treatment Efficacy: For those on blood pressure medications, regular checks ensure the treatment is working as intended.
5. Overall Health Awareness: Knowing your blood pressure helps you stay informed about your cardiovascular health and take proactive steps in maintaining it.
6. Lifestyle Adjustments: Regular monitoring can motivate healthier lifestyle choices, such as improved diet, increased physical activity, and stress management.

Regular blood pressure checks are a crucial part of maintaining good health and preventing long-term health issues.

Compression stockings apply gentle pressure to the legs, improving blood flow and circulation while helping to prevent fluid buildup.

They can be prescribed by a GP or recommended by a healthcare professional and are available through the medical card with a valid prescription.

With a range of sizes, colors, and compression levels available, our team can provide a professional fitting to ensure you get the right stockings for your needs.

Contact us today to book a measurement appointment with our trained specialists.

COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are strongly recommended to protect people from serious illness caused by COVID-19 (coronavirus). 

People are being administered adapted booster vaccines. Adapted vaccines are bivalent and contain mRNA based on the spike protein of the ancestral virus, as in the original vaccine, as well as mRNA based on the spike protein of the variant strain. As such they are adapted to better match circulating variants and are expected to give broader protection against different variants, although their impact on future variants is unpredictable

From late 2023 onwards, the HSE has adopting a seasonal approach to COVID vaccines offering  COVID booster vaccines in autumn 2023 followed by a spring 2024 campaign. 

Cohorts and priorities change frequently, but generally the HSE prioritises older people, those living in long-term care facilities or those aged 5 years and older with immunocompromise associated with a suboptimal response to vaccination.

Are you interested in having your ears pierced? Don't just go anywhere. We have partnered with Studex System 75 to offer the latest technology, sterile handling and great piercing studs.

How much does it cost? Prices start at €20 and depends on which studs you pick of which we have a large selection.

Is it you first time to get your ears pierced ? We will mark the occasion by giving you a certificate with a photo of you with your sparkling new earrings

What age do we pierce ears from? We will pierce ears for all children from 6 years and over.If a child is nervous in getting their ears pierced we will do our best to allay their fears but we will not pierce ears for an overly nervous child.

Most importantly does it hurt? This is one of the questions we’re being asked the most. With our state-of-the-art instruments, ear piercing is merely a matter of a few seconds. Most people say they only feel the slightest little pinch. With our Studex System 75, you’ll barely notice that your new studs have just been placed in your ear. Even for kids this system is very well suited. If you watch the video below from Studex you’ll see that even the model doesn't flinch a bit when she had her ears pierced. That’s because the studex system provides patented technology and we have been very well trained in their use. It is also a good idea to ring ahead to make sure we have two ear piercing technicians in store so that we can pierce both ears at the one time.This makes it easier for the nervous child.We’re proud to offer our customers the best ear piercing experience possible.

What to do after getting your ears pierced with us? After care guidelines https://www.earpiercing.biz/care-advice/

So call in now and ask for one of our trained ear piercing staff Jessica or Selina in our Dublin Road store. Sarah, Rebecca or Megan in our Monksland store

Emergency Hormonal Contraception also known as the "morning after pill", is a tablet that you take after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy. It can also be used if regular contraception has failed or you are worried that your regular contraception may not have been used or taken correctly. If you think you may need emergency contraception it is always important to act quickly and consult your pharmacist for advice. It is important to note that it is most effective when taken as close as possible to the event. The morning after pill is available to you directly from your local pharmacy, without a prescription for those over 17 years of age, subject to meeting certain criteria. The emergency contraception service is available free of charge to medical card holders when a valid card is presented and to persons aged 17-35 with a PPS number. For other customers, a fee will be charged, depending on the outcome of the consultation and the type of emergency contraception supplied Emergency Hormonal Contraception may not be suitable if:

• Too much time has passed since the unprotected sex for the medicine to be effective (max time is 120 hours)
• You may be taking other medications or have certain medical conditions that make it unsafe for you to use emergency contraception
• Allergies to any of the ingredients in the medication
• You have already taken an emergency contraceptive pill within this cycle.
• Your last period was irregular in some way

  Our pharmacists will determine if the morning after pill is suitable for you. If for any reason the pill is not suitable, there may be further options available. Our pharmacists are trained to be able to direct you to the correct source for help or support. Morning after pills are not 100% effective. This is because there is a chance that you may have already ovulated when you take an emergency contraceptive pill. Taking emergency contraceptive pills as soon as possible after unprotected sex gives the best chance of success. It should be noted that the morning after pill cannot protect against a sexually transmitted infection. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you have any questions about STI’s or visit www.thinkcontraception.ie for more information.

Seasonal flu or influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by flu viruses which circulate in all parts of the world.

Seasonal flu symptoms include a high temperature, a severe (usually dry) cough, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, sore throat, and a runny nose. A person with the flu will also feel extremely unwell. Most people recover from the symptoms within a week or two without requiring medical attention. But flu can cause severe illness or death especially in people at high risk (see below).

Illnesses range from mild to severe and even death. Hospitalisation and death occur mainly among high risk groups. The most effective way to prevent the flu is get vaccinated. An annual vaccination is recommended as immunity decreases over time. The flu vaccine can be administered as an injection or using an intra-nasal spray. While everyone should consider getting a flu vaccine, it is especially important that the following groups get vaccinated:

• Persons aged 65 years and older.



• Persons with a chronic illness requiring regular follow up, e.g. chronic respiratory disease (including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, moderate or severe asthma and bronchopulmonary dysplasia), chronic heart disease (including acute coronary syndrome), chronic renal disease, diabetes mellitus, haemoglobinopathies, chronic liver disease, chronic neurological disease (including multiple sclerosis, hereditary and degenerative disorders of the central nervous system).



• Those who are immunosuppressed due to disease or treatment including those with missing or non-functioning spleens.
• All cancer patients.
• Patients with any condition that can compromise respiratory function, e.g. spinal cord injury, seizure disorder or other neuromuscular disorder.
• Persons with Down syndrome.
• Those with morbid obesity, i.e. body mass index over 40.
• All pregnant women (vaccine can be given at any stage of pregnancy).
• Healthcare workers.
• Household contacts of at-risk persons.
• Out-of-home care givers to at-risk persons.
• Residents of nursing homes and other long stay institutions.
• Carers.
• People with regular contact with pigs, poultry, or waterfowl.

Corporate Flu Vaccination Programme

Our Corporate Flu Vaccination Program offers numerous advantages for your business,  aiming to enhance employee health and workplace productivity. 

By providing convenient access to flu vaccinations, either on-site at your business location or in our pharmacy, we help reduce absenteeism due to illness and prevent the spread of the flu among your staff. 

This program ensures your employees are protected during flu season, leading to fewer sick days and maintaining a healthier workforce. Administered by our trained healthcare professionals, the program is designed to be efficient and flexible, accommodating your company's schedule and needs. Investing in our Corporate Flu Vaccination Programme demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being and can contribute to a more resilient and thriving workplace.  

Schools Flu Vaccination Programme

The school flu vaccination program is a HSE initiative designed to provide the nasal flu vaccine administered by pharmacies directly within the school setting. 

By offering flu vaccines at school, the programme significantly reduces the risk of flu outbreaks among students and staff, helping to curb the spread of the virus. Furthermore, vaccinating a large number of students contributes to herd immunity, which helps protect those who are unable to be vaccinated, such as younger siblings, elderly family members, or individuals with certain health conditions.

Vaccinations are administered on-site in the school, which makes it easier for students to receive the nasal flu vaccine without needing separate medical appointments. This convenience encourages higher participation rates. 

Our pharmacy’s school flu vaccination programme alleviates the need for parents to take time off work or complete paperwork, because our pharmacy uses the Refill Assistant booking system to enable parents to complete a medical intake form and provide consent online.  This streamlines the process and making it easier for families to ensure their children are vaccinated.

We offer a reliable home delivery service, with a special focus on supporting our vulnerable patients. Our dedicated pharmacy van ensures a prompt and secure delivery of medications, making it easier for those who may have difficulty visiting the store due to illness, busy schedules, or other challenges.

Our Professional MakeUp service in our Monksland store with in-house MakeUp Artist Amy McGowan.

 

	Full MakeUp	Eyes Only	Individual Lash Application
BPerfect MakeUp	€25	€10	€5
Sculpted MakeUp	€30	€15	€5

Our Medication Usage Review is a pre-booked consultation to discuss your medicines (prescribed and non-prescribed). The review helps increase your knowledge and understanding of your medicines, including how and why the medicines should be taken.

Our aim is to improve outcomes by helping you to better understand your health conditions and the medications used to manage them.

The review also provides an opportunity to highlight any issues, side effects or other medication-related problems and propose solutions if appropriate.

This review can be especially helpful for people who are older, have several chronic conditions, take multiple medications, have been using a specific medication over a longer period or are seen by multiple doctors.

Our Online Doctor Service is a safe , convenient and discreet way to access your medicine.You can choose to fill out a medical questionnaire or you can have a face to face video consultation with an Irish Registered Doctor. Your condition will be reviewed by the Doctor and an appropriate treatment will be prescribed  if required.Repeat prescriptions consultations start at €25 and your prescription will be forwarded to a Cunningham's Pharmacy of your choice where it will be prepared by our Pharmacy team -ready for collection by you or delivery to you if you would prefer.Video consultations start at €35.

All WebDoctor.ie Doctors work and live in Ireland and are registered with Irish Medical Council.For more information and Terms and Conditions check out www.webdoctor.ie

Using our instant digital photo equipment, we can offer the following professional photo services.

• Passport Photos (Standard & Online)
• Driving License Photos
• PSV License Photos
• American Passports and Other Nationalities
• Taxi License Photo
• Passport Photos for toddlers (2yrs plus) & children
• Garda ID Photos

Taxi License Photos We print passport-style photographs, each measuring 10cm by 7cm as per taxi driver license requirements, showing your head and shoulders and complying with standards for passport photographs. Passport Photos (Standard & Online) We print and check that developed photos meet all requirements of the Irish Passport Office, both for print and online versions.

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. The pain associated with shingles can be very intense and is usually the 1st symptom.

The rash most often appears as a single stripe of blisters that wraps around your torso. However, the shingles rash can also appear around the eyes, neck, or face.

If a rash appears around the eye, you must quickly seek professional medical attention to avoid long term damage (to the eye).

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes Chickenpox. Anyone who suffered from chickenpox can develop shingles.

However not everybody does and why shingles develops in some people and not others remain unclear. Shingles tends to be more common in older adults or people with a weakened immune system.

The virus that causes shingles is contagious causing chickenpox in people who have previously not had the infection.

Getting vaccinated does not guarantee you will not get Shingles, but the vaccine will likely reduce the course and severity of the infection.