In most cases, you will be able to identify what condition or illness your customer has by finding out what their symptoms are. However, sometimes more serious conditions might be hidden by symptoms that appear to be associated with less serious problems. For example, conditions like malaria and meningitis can present flu-like symptoms, but they can both be fatal and need to be identified quickly.

If you are in any doubt about your customer's problem, or if you can't identify anything from their symptoms or think it might be something more serious, you should refer them to your pharmacist.

As a general rule, you should refer to the pharmacist any customer who:

• Has severe pain
• Has pain that started suddenly
• Has recurring problems
• Has shortness of breath
• Has dizziness
• Is bleeding.