Get your blood pressure checked at the pharmacy
A pharmacy blood pressure check is an NHS service and free to you. A trained member of the pharmacy team measures your blood pressure, explains what the numbers mean, and arranges a 24 hour monitor to wear at home if one reading is not enough. Anything that needs a doctor is referred to your GP practice with the readings attached.
Who the NHS check is for
- Adults aged 40 and over who have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure
- Adults under 40 with a family history of high blood pressure, at the pharmacist's discretion
- Anyone who has not had a reading taken in the last five years
High blood pressure has no symptoms, which is why a check matters even when you feel well. If you have already been diagnosed, your GP practice monitors you rather than the pharmacy, so speak to the practice about readings between reviews.
What happens at the appointment
Sit quietly first
Rushing, caffeine and a full bladder all push a reading up. You are given a few minutes to settle before anything is measured, which makes the number a fairer one.
The measurement
A cuff on your upper arm takes the reading, usually more than once. The only sensation is the cuff tightening for a few seconds.
What your numbers mean
The two numbers are explained in plain terms: where your reading sits, what pushes it up and down, and whether it needs following up.
A 24 hour monitor if one is needed
A single reading can mislead. If yours is high you may be offered a monitor to wear for a day, so an average can be taken while you go about normal life.
Referral where it is needed
A reading that needs a doctor goes to your GP practice with the numbers, so the practice is not starting from scratch.
Where you can get this
Questions people ask
Is the check free?
Yes. It is an NHS service, so there is nothing to pay, and that includes the 24 hour monitor if you are offered one. You do not need a referral from your GP, and you do not need to be registered with the pharmacy to use it.
Do I need to do anything beforehand?
Avoid caffeine and heavy exercise in the half hour before your appointment, and use the toilet before you sit down. Wear a top with a sleeve that rolls up easily. Take your usual medicines as normal unless a clinician has told you otherwise.
What counts as a high reading?
As a general guide, a reading of 140/90 or above taken in a clinic or pharmacy is treated as possible high blood pressure. It is confirmed with home or 24 hour monitoring rather than on one measurement alone. The pharmacy explains your own numbers rather than leaving you to interpret them.
What is 24 hour monitoring?
You wear a small monitor on a belt with a cuff on your arm. It takes readings automatically through the day while you work, move about and rest, and the average it produces is a far better guide than a single measurement taken in a pharmacy.
Will my GP practice get the result?
If the reading needs following up, yes. The pharmacy sends the numbers to your practice so it can act on them. You also get your own reading to keep, which is worth taking to any appointment about your heart health.
Can I bring readings I have taken at home?
Yes, bring them. A week of home readings taken twice a day tells a clinician far more than one measurement in a shop. The pharmacy can talk through what they show and whether they warrant a conversation with your GP.
How long does the appointment take?
A standard check is short, and most of the time is spent settling beforehand and talking through the result afterwards. Fitting a 24 hour monitor takes longer, and you return the monitor to the pharmacy the next day.
Where this information comes from
Other services
Book at a participating pharmacy
Your care is delivered by the pharmacy, not by WalkInClinics. The pharmacy team checks your eligibility before the appointment goes ahead.