Constipation Treatment in Treherbert | NHS Pharmacy Advice

If you are looking for constipation treatment in Treherbert, Treherbert Pharmacy may be able to help through the NHS Wales Common Ailments Service.

Constipation can mean passing stools less often than usual, having dry or hard stools, straining, or feeling that your bowel has not emptied fully. The NHS pharmacy pathway is for adults aged 18 and over with short-term symptoms when diet and lifestyle changes have not helped and there are no warning signs requiring another service.

Eligible NHS consultations and treatment supplied through the service are free. You can approach or book with the pharmacy directly and do not need a GP referral first. The pharmacist will confirm whether the Common Ailments Service is the right route for you.

Choose an NHS appointment if you would like help with this condition. The pharmacist will assess whether treatment is suitable or whether you need another service.

What is constipation?

Constipation is a change in bowel habit that makes passing stools less frequent, more difficult or incomplete. Passing stools fewer than three times a week can be one sign, but what matters is also whether this is less often than normal for you and whether the stools are hard or difficult to pass.

Common causes include not eating enough fibre, not drinking enough fluid, reduced activity, ignoring the urge to use the toilet, a change in routine, pregnancy, stress and some medicines. Occasionally, constipation may be linked to an underlying health condition, which is why the pharmacist checks for warning signs before recommending treatment.

Symptoms people often notice

• Going less often: fewer than three bowel movements in a week or less often than is normal for you.
• Hard or lumpy stools: stools may be dry, unusually large or small, and difficult to pass.
• Straining or discomfort: you may need to push harder or feel pain when opening your bowels.
• Incomplete emptying: feeling that you still need to go after passing a stool.
• Abdominal symptoms: bloating, lower abdominal discomfort, nausea or reduced appetite may occur.
• Changes in an older or vulnerable person: confusion, reduced function, overflow diarrhoea or urinary retention can sometimes be signs of constipation or faecal impaction.

Can Treherbert Pharmacy help with constipation treatment?

The NHS Common Ailments Service is intended for adults with short-term constipation, generally lasting less than three months, when sensible diet, fluid, activity and toilet-routine changes have not been enough.

Some exclusions need same-day assessment rather than a routine pharmacy appointment. The pharmacist will explain whether you should use our independent prescribing service, your GP, NHS 111 Wales or urgent care.

What happens during your consultation?

1. 1
   Private assessment. The consultation will normally take place in a private room at Treherbert Pharmacy.
2. 2
   Bowel-pattern review. The pharmacist will ask how often you pass stools, what they are like, how long the change has lasted and whether you are straining or feel incompletely emptied.
3. 3
   Safety and cause check. Your symptoms, diet, fluid intake, activity, medicines, medical conditions, allergies and pregnancy or breastfeeding status will be considered.
4. 4
   Advice, treatment or referral. You may receive self-care advice, an oral laxative from an appropriate treatment category, or clear direction to another healthcare service.
5. 5
   Follow-up guidance. The pharmacist will explain how and when to use any treatment, when it should begin to work and what to do if symptoms do not improve or become worse.

What information may the pharmacist ask about?

• Your age, when the change began and whether constipation is new, recurrent or steadily worsening.
• How often you pass stools, whether they are hard or lumpy, and whether you strain or feel incompletely emptied.
• Whether you have abdominal pain, swelling, nausea, vomiting, fever, blood or mucus, diarrhoea, loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss.
• Whether you can pass wind and whether there are urinary symptoms, confusion or a decline in usual function.
• Your diet, fluid intake, activity, toilet routine and any recent change in lifestyle.
• All regular and recently started medicines, especially opioid painkillers, clozapine, iron, calcium supplements and medicines known to slow the bowel.
• Medical conditions, allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and whether you are receiving palliative care.
• Which diet changes or laxatives have already been tried, for how long and with what effect.

What treatment may be considered?

Treatment is chosen after assessment and depends on whether the stool is hard, whether it is soft but difficult to pass, whether opioids are contributing, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

• Self-care measures: gradual dietary fibre changes, adequate fluid, activity and a better toilet position may be advised first or alongside treatment.
• Bulk-forming treatment: may be considered for suitable adults with non-opioid constipation when dietary fibre alone has not been enough.
• Osmotic or stool-softening treatment: may be considered when stools remain hard or difficult to pass.
• Stimulant treatment: may be considered when stools are soft but still difficult to pass or there is a feeling of incomplete emptying.
• Referral or review: symptoms outside the pathway may need same-day assessment, routine GP investigation or a different treatment plan.

Many laxatives take up to three days to work. Use them exactly as advised, maintain adequate fluid intake and return for further advice if the expected improvement does not occur.

When our pharmacist independent prescriber may be able to help

If your symptoms are not covered by the NHS Common Ailments Service, but you do not have emergency warning signs, our pharmacist independent prescriber may still be able to carry out a broader assessment. Treatment can be prescribed where clinically appropriate, or we will explain which healthcare service you should use instead.

This route may be considered when the diagnosis or cause needs wider review, symptoms have not responded as expected, or the Common Ailments pathway is unsuitable. Some constipation exclusions require same-day assessment, so contact the pharmacy, your GP or NHS 111 Wales rather than assuming a routine appointment is appropriate.

Children and young people: constipation in anyone under 18 is outside this Common Ailments pathway and requires same-day clinical assessment. Please contact the pharmacy for advice on the safest route, or use your GP or NHS 111 Wales.

Find out about our independent prescribing service

When you should seek urgent medical help

Do not wait for a routine pharmacy appointment when urgent symptoms are present.

• Go to A&E without delay if you have frequent or forceful vomiting, cannot pass wind, have a markedly swollen or tender abdomen, or feel very full despite eating little. These can be signs of bowel obstruction or ileus.
• Go to A&E without delay if abdominal pain, tenderness or swelling occurs with fever, chills or a change in mental state, or if new leg pain, tingling, weakness or numbness occurs.
• If you take clozapine and are constipated, attend A&E without delay. Clozapine-related constipation can become serious quickly.
• Seek same-day assessment through your GP, NHS 111 Wales or an appropriate pharmacist independent prescriber if there is blood or mucus in the stool, rectal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting or co-existing diarrhoea.
• Seek same-day assessment for unexplained weight or appetite loss, marked tiredness, a suspected abdominal or rectal lump, possible faecal impaction, urinary retention, confusion or a sudden change in bowel habit after age 60.
• Anyone under 18 with suspected constipation should receive same-day clinical assessment rather than use the routine adult Common Ailments pathway.

Simple measures that may help

• Eat regular balanced meals and gradually increase fibre from fruit, vegetables, whole grains, oats, bran, linseed or flaxseed if suitable for you.
• Drink enough water and other fluids. Increasing fibre without adequate fluid can make symptoms worse.
• Stay as active as your health allows; even a regular walk may help bowel movement.
• Do not ignore the urge to use the toilet. Allow enough time and try to keep a regular routine.
• Rest your feet on a low stool so your knees are above your hips while using the toilet.
• Do not stop a prescribed medicine without advice. Codeine and other opioid medicines can worsen constipation and need a different treatment approach.

Free NHS advice and treatment

The NHS Wales Common Ailments Service provides a free pharmacist consultation for eligible adults. Any treatment supplied through the service is also free of charge.

• No GP referral is needed: you can book or approach Treherbert Pharmacy directly if you appear suitable for the adult constipation pathway.
• Assessment comes first: treatment is supplied only when it is clinically appropriate and within the service pathway.
• The service is for eligible adults: anyone under 18 needs a different same-day assessment route.
• You will need to attend the pharmacy: the pharmacist must discuss the symptoms, medicines and relevant medical history.
• Another route may be recommended: this could be independent prescribing, GP care, NHS 111 Wales or urgent care depending on the findings.

Book a constipation assessment at Treherbert Pharmacy

Book the NHS appointment route if you are aged 18 or over with short-term constipation and no urgent warning signs. You do not need to obtain a GP referral before contacting the pharmacy.

Book an NHS pharmacy appointment

Choose an NHS appointment if you would like help with this condition. The pharmacist will assess whether treatment is suitable or whether you need another service.

Useful links

• Read about the NHS Common Ailments Service at Treherbert Pharmacy
• View all NHS pharmacy services in Treherbert
• Browse conditions covered by NHS pharmacy services
• Read NHS information about constipation in adults
• Read Welsh Medicines Advice Service information about the Common Ailments Service

Clinically reviewed by Jon James, Pharmacist Independent Prescriber. Last reviewed: June 2026.