Which supplements are genuinely worth taking, which are not, and which interact with your medicines — straight answers from our pharmacists, free of charge.
Bring your medicines list and whatever you are already taking. Our pharmacist will tell you honestly which supplements have evidence behind them for your situation, which are unnecessary, and which could interfere with your prescribed medicines — and where a supplement is appropriate under the local NHS minor ailments scheme, we can supply it free of charge.
Free NHS treatment is available if you are registered with a participating local GP and do not pay for prescriptions; everyone else can still get expert advice and low-cost treatment. Use our one-minute eligibility checker and our pharmacist will be in touch to arrange your consultation — or just walk in.
What it is, what to look out for, and what actually helps — from the pharmacists who deal with it every day.
A balanced diet supplies most of what most people need, and the supplement aisle sells a great deal that healthy adults simply do not require. There are real exceptions, though, and they matter. Everyone in the UK is advised to consider a daily vitamin D supplement through autumn and winter, because we cannot make enough from sunlight in those months. Folic acid before and in early pregnancy genuinely prevents harm. Vitamin B12 matters if you eat no animal products, and iron matters if you are deficient — but only if you actually are.
The part that gets overlooked is interactions. Iron and calcium block the absorption of several antibiotics and thyroid tablets. Vitamin K affects warfarin. St John’s wort interferes with a long list of medicines including contraception and antidepressants. High-dose supplements are not automatically safer than medicines just because they are sold on a shelf — and more is not better. That is exactly the conversation to have with a pharmacist rather than a search engine.