A PHARMACY in Burnham has become one of just fifty pharmacies across the UK to offer a new screening service for skin cancer.

Savages Pharmacy, on Station Road, Burnham, member of the Alphega Pharmacy network, is the latest pharmacy in the country to provide its patients with the service.

The screening service, which is offered privately, allows a patient to have one or more moles scanned by the pharmacists and looked at by professional dermatologists.

The scheme is aiming to battle the effect of malignant malenomas across the country, as skin cancer continues to grow across the UK.

At the moment skin cancer is the fifth largest cancer in the country, with 2,000 people dying from the disease in 2012, but it is expected to soon rise to fourth.

Savages Pharmacy pharmacist, Ani Patel, says the screening service is extremely important: “It benefits patients who may, at one point, have had concerns about a new mole, or a growing mole, but were unable to go anywhere about it.

“If you are worried about skin cancer there is currently no walk in services where you can have this checked out.

“That is what we are hoping to provide. We want people with this sort of concern to have to somewhere to come in in private and have their issue seen to.

“It will also benefit GP’s, who as we know are under a lot of pressure due to one reason or another.

“This takes a bit of pressure off them. It is done quickly, effectively and properly.”

The service has been found to be 90-95% accurate and results are expected to be returned within a fortnight at the most.

It will cost patients £35 to have one mole checked, and £15 for each mole on top of that.

For more information visit http://www.alphega-pharmacy.co.uk/our-services/mole-screening-service.