Assessing the value of the pharmacy to those with IBS symptoms
Pharmacists have played a vital role in society for thousands of years from the ancient civilisations of China to today's modern chains of pharmacies and that is to provide the ingredients for our bodies to get well and stay that way. Before modern medicine had evolved with the word of the doctor at the top, people took their medical problems to those with knowledge of the natural world's gifts to help the sick and make the weak stronger. Nowadays, we are once again told to consult our pharmacists for less serious ailments such as colds and flu. For some conditions we may rely on pharmacists too much when perhaps we should be consulting the doctor. This can be the case for those who show classic ibs symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation or abdominal pains and reach for the symptomatic relief we find in the pharmacist's shop.
Although irritable bowel syndrome does include these symptoms, it is always prudent to ensure that a more serious problem is not the root cause of the symptoms. Pharmacists are also retailers who rely on their sales of a wide range of toiletries and cosmetics as well as medicines to make a living and must pay attention to balancing their books, stock turnover and tax so they cannot be a full substitute for a doctor. If symptoms persist the advice of a doctor who has full medical training and the resources to investigate a medical condition and give a firm diagnosis is the only solution.