Looking After Your Mental Health During the Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has been a difficult time for most people. Whilst some people may have coped with lockdowns and the uncertainties of life, this isn’t true for everyone.
You may be worried or anxious about money or your job, your health or the health of your loved ones. You may feel bored, frustrated or lonely if you’re self-isolating. If you already have an existing mental health condition, such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, or other mental health problems, this might be a particularly difficult time.
Looking after your mental health as well as your physical health is really important and there are things you can do to help with your mental wellbeing. Here, we’ll discuss some things you can try, to help improve how you’re feeling.
What can I do to improve my mental health?
- If you are worried about work and money speak to your employer to understand your sick pay and benefits rights. Knowing the details about what the coronavirus outbreak means for you can help reduce worry
- Staying connected to friends or family members is important for your mental wellbeing, whether it be by phone calls, text messaging, video calls, skype or social media
- Build physical activity into your daily routine, as physical health affects how you feel. Try to have a healthy, well-balanced diet, drink enough water and exercise regularly. If you are staying indoors, try an easy 10-minute home workout
- Always use trustworthy news sources such as GOV.UK or the NHS website, and fact-check information from the news, social media or other people about the Covid 19 outbreak. This way you’ll know that the information you’re receiving is reliable
- If you are self-isolating make an effort to focus on your favourite hobby if it’s something you can still do at home, or try something new. Meditation, yoga, tai chi or activities that make you feel relaxed and improve your mental health. Listening to relaxing music, having technology-free breaks (especially from social media), taking a hot bubble bath or just introducing periods of time just for you to be can help
- Try to get a good night’s sleep. Good-quality sleep will make a big difference in how you feel, so it’s important to get enough
- Make your home environment as light and airy as possible, sit near windows when you’re indoors and take plenty of outdoor exercise in natural light
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be beneficial. The right therapy can help you curb negative thoughts, attitudes, and behaviours. For many people, CBT can be as effective at treating as antidepressants
- Talk therapy, which is also known as psychotherapy, is what mental healthcare professionals use to communicate with their patients. The purpose of talk therapy is to help people recognise the issues that cause emotional distress. Join a support group for depression. Sometimes, just talking about your feelings and going through self-help and self-care techniques can help you feel better
- Consider natural remedies, but always check with your Doctor or Pharmacist before taking any natural remedies. Some remedies can interfere with prescription medication or cause complications to exist medical conditions. Melatonin supplements may help you regulate your sleep pattern if it has been disturbed. Also, there is some evidence that St. John’s wort may help alleviate mild depressive symptoms
Further support and advice
There are many places to get help and support if you are struggling with your mental health. The NHS mental health and wellbeing advice pages on stress, anxiety, sleep and low mood have lots more tips and specific advice. If you are a parent or a key worker working with young people, Young Minds has guidance on talking to your child about coronavirus.
As the Mental Health Foundation says, “Infectious disease outbreaks, like the covid 19 pandemic, can be scary and affect our mental health. While it is important to stay informed, there are many things we can do to manage our wellbeing.
To help build resilience and maintain good wellbeing, there’s a range of resources for everyone at Every Mind Matters, or for mental health support services during this time you can contact the following organisations:
- NHS 111
- NHS urgent mental health helplines
- NHS therapy and counselling services
- Samaritans on 116 123
Medical Disclaimer
NowPatient has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that all material is factually accurate, complete, and current. However, the knowledge and experience of a qualified healthcare professional should always be sought after instead of using the information on this page. Before taking any drug, you should always speak to your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider.
The information provided here about medications is subject to change and is not meant to include all uses, precautions, warnings, directions, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or negative effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a particular medication does not imply that the medication or medication combination is appropriate for all patients or for all possible purposes.
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We are a broad skilled and passionate group of clinicians with experience of operating in health systems in the United Kingdom & United States. Providing excellent care and advice is at the heart of everything we do. You can read more about our medical team by visiting the medical team page or learn more about how we curate content by visiting our editorial process
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What does NowPatient do?
NowPatient is a digital health-technology platform functioning as both an online pharmacy and telehealth service. Packaged as a Class I software medical device, it’s accessible via web browser or mobile app (iOS and Android), and offers users worldwide on-demand access to virtual consultations, prescription services, and AI-powered health tools.
What It Does
-
- NHS Online Pharmacy: Order NHS-approved prescriptions (UK)
- Drug Savings: Access major US drug-savings programs (coupons, savings cards, manufacturer assistance, Canadian drug savings).
- Virtual Consultations: Get treated for a wide range of medical conditions by expert clinicians using a secure telehealth link.
- Medication Management: Set up refill & dose reminders, view private treatment plans, and track chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension.
- Health-Monitoring Tools: Use AI-driven assessments for genetic risk tests, home test kits and blood-pressure monitoring.
- Wellness Insights: Access real-time pollen counts, air-quality data, BMI and type 2 diabetes risk scores, plus comprehensive health-condition information.
Get started today and benefit from Medication Reminders, Get Treated Privately, NHS Online Pharmacy, GP Appointment Booking, Rx Savings Card, Drug Coupons, US Drug Savings Programs, Health Conditions Information, Genetic Testing, Home Test Kits, BMI Risks, Type 2 Diabetes Risks, Pollen Meter, Air Quality Monitor, and lots more!
Our service is operated by experienced medical professionals in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Where is NowPatient located?
NowPatient has offices in the United Kingdom and United States.
In the UK, we are located at:
NowPatient
28 Chipstead Valley Road
Coulsdon
Surrey
CR52RA
In the US, we are located at:
NowPatient
8911 North Capital of Texas Highway
Suite 4200 #1263
78759
Austin, TX
How can I contact NowPatient?
To contact NowPatient, please use the contact form available on the Contact Us page.
Alternatively, if you need to speak to us, you can reach us on the following numbers:
UK telephone number – 020 388 51 500
US telephone number – 1-866-967-1977
Who owns NowPatient?
NowPatient is owned and operated by Infohealth Ltd, a licensed online pharmacy with services spanning the UK, US and Rest of the World. Infohealth Ltd is registered in England and Wales under company number 04004930 and our registered office is at Lynwood House, 373 – 375 Station Road, Harrow, England, HA1 2AW.
Our website is www.nowpatient.com. Our App is called “NowPatient” and can be downloaded from the App Store (for Apple devices) or Google Play (for Android devices).
Can you tell me more about your NHS online pharmacy?
NowPatient’s Pharmaceutical services in the UK are provided by Infohealth Limited trading as ‘Infohealth Pharmacy’.
Our dispensing pharmacy is regulated and authorized for internet sales by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), registration number 1036487. You can view our license credentials on the General Pharmaceutical Council website. Our superintendent pharmacist who is responsible for the safe and effective oversight of medicines supplies is Mr Amish Patel (Registration Number 2042705).
Medicines are not ordinary items of commerce. All medicines or healthcare product sales are made under the supervision of a registered pharmacist who is licensed by the GPhC. At all times, we endeavour to provide a professional and transparent service whose primary goal is to ensure that the best interests of the patient are served.
How do I make a complaint?
From time to time, we accept that our service levels may not be up to your expectations. NowPatient welcomes concerns, compliments and complaints as valuable feedback that will help us learn from your experiences and make improvements. Feedback can be provided via our clear and transparent Complaints Procedures.
Can you tell me more about NowPatient’s prescribing services for treatments offered?
Our prescribing services are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). We provide the following regulated activity:
• treatment of disease, disorder, or injury
• transport services, triage, and medical advice are provided remotely
• caring for adults over 65 years old
• caring for adults under 65 years old
NowPatient prescribing services are run by Infohealth Limited. The Clinical Safety Officer and nominated individual is Mr Navin Khosla. Dr Ihtesham Sabri is the Medical Director for NowPatient and is responsible for NowPatient’s prescribing formulary and treatment guidelines, which are used by clinicians for safe and effective prescribing.
Can you tell me more about NowPatient’s US services?
Our head of US services is Dr. Jamie Winn.
You can lower the cost of your prescription medications using our various savings programs which include drug coupons, savings card and manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.
What are the steps to booking a live video consultation?
Follow the steps below to book a consultation:
1Book Consultation
2Choose Consultation DateNext, you’ll be taken to the ‘Consultation Date’ screen, where you can select your preferred consultation date. You can also add any notes that might assist the clinician during your session. Click ‘Continue’ to proceed.
3Choose Consultation TimeYou will now see the ‘Consultation Time’ screen. Select your preferred time for the consultation and then click ‘Continue’.
4Choose ClinicianOn the ‘Choose Clinician’ screen, you’ll be able to view available clinicians and select the one you prefer. You can filter the list by gender and spoken languages. Once you’ve made your selection, click ‘Continue’.
5Booking ConfirmationYou will now arrive at the ‘Booking Confirmation’ screen, where you can review a summary of your booking. This screen also includes an advisory titled ‘Pre-consultation Requirements’, which offers helpful tips on how to prepare for your live video consultation. Click ‘Continue’ to proceed.
6Safety Information & RemindersYou’ll be asked to provide safety information, including: - The address where you will be during the consultation - Emergency contact details You can also opt to receive an SMS reminder 30 minutes before your scheduled video consultation.
7Final ConfirmationClick ‘Confirm Booking’ to complete the process. A pop-up will appear to confirm your booking, and you will be redirected to your account homepage. You’ll also receive confirmation via In-App and Push notifications.
If I place an order, how do I check out?
Follow the steps below to checkout:
1Go to Cart using Account Navigation
2If there is an NHS service item in the Cart - An NHS Exemption Declaration will Pop Up
3Complete the NHS Exemption Declaration for each NHS service item
4Select ‘Checkout’
5Select Delivery Address
6Select Delivery Method
7Confirm Billing Address
8Review Order
9Submit Payment
10Order Completed
11Return to Account Homepage
Is NowPatient legit and can I trust information from NowPatient?
Yes. NowPatient provides trustworthy and accessible clinical, health education and prescription services. We are also trusted by the NHS to deliver clinical and NHS repeat prescription dispensing across the whole of England. In the United States, we work with over 65,000 pharmacies to deliver considerable costs savings for our users.
NowPatient is operated by experienced licensed medical professionals in the United Kingdom and United States. Our Medical Team can be found here.
Our service is trusted by thousands of patients worldwide. You can read their reviews on our Trustpilot:
Does NowPatient have insurance in place for the services it provides?
Yes. NowPatient is fully insured to provide pharmacy & prescribing services. Insurance not only provides peace of mind but also provides an effective safety net for both you and our clinicians.
Why is it important to choose an online pharmacy and telehealth service that is insured?
Insurance is more than just a financial safeguard, it is a signal of legitimacy and accountability.
We insure our services, so that it:
- Shows you that we are compliant with all laws and industry standards in the markets that we operate.
- Shows you that we are committed to standards of professionalism.
- Reinforces your confidence that you are dealing with a reputable provider.
Who insures your services and which services are insured?
We are insured by the National Pharmacy Association in the UK.
The scope of the services covered include:
- dispensing of prescriptions
- telehealth prescribing services.
In addition, all of the clinicians that operate on our platform have their personal indemnity insurance & scope of clinical practice validated and checked before they are able to provide services.
What are NowPatient’s opening hours?
Our office hours are:
UK – Monday-Friday 9am-6pm GMT
US – Monday-Friday 8am-5pm EST
Please note that we are closed at weekends.
In the event of a medical life-threatening emergency please call:
UK – 999
US – 911
In the event of a medical emergency which is not life-threatening please call:
UK – 111