Winter is often associated with being the common cold season as we spend more time indoors and the virus associated with the cold is spread more easily in cold and dry air.
The good news is that all of your common cold symptoms such as cough, chest congestion, runny nose, sore throat, pain/headache, and fever, can all be alleviated by medications available on the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital’s Pharmacy Self-Care program.
These medications are available without an appointment or a doctor’s visit.
All it takes it a visit to the GLWACH main or Post Exchange pharmacy.
For most cases the self-care option is the best option for treating your common cold, however there are cases when you should check with your primary care provider.
Such cases include high persistent fevers for children under the age of 2, a cough that persist for more than a week, trouble breathing, chest pain, and painful swallowing.
It’s also important to follow guidelines on the drug facts label which clearly state how long it is safe to use a self-care medication for.
A self-care consult from a pharmacist is available with every self-care visit. The pharmacist will help you choose the right medications for your symptoms and go over how to use them safely and effectively.
Self-care medications are limited to four items per family every two weeks.
For more information on self-care medications, call the pharmacy at 573-596-0514.
(Editor’s note: Capt. Paul Chin is a pharmacist at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital.)