Marchmont Pharmacy is a convenient 30 seconds from my house. Convenient for various reasons,…read moreincluding the fact that I'm particularly talented at losing my toothbrush and they've got a whole colourful selection of those for me to purchase over and over again (I wouldn't want my colours to overlap, now would I?). The people who work there are the nicest pharmacists I've ever met. Back in my universitary photojournalist days I once had to procure a needle for the purposes of an article of drug use in Edinburgh, and though they couldn't specifically give me what I needed, they both informed me of where the Needle Exchange was and weren't at all perturbed by my request. Which is always quite comforting. Only downside here is that, yes, it is quite expensive. For all the girls out there: 1) don't get yourself into this situation, 2) they now give out free morning after pills if you're registered with a local GP. And that's all, folks.

Whenever mildly ill and in need of some medicine, I generally head here rather than to my nearer…read morepharmacies or a GP for some of the over the counter medicine you can buy from here. The staff here do know what they are talking about and you just need to go in and tell them what the problem is and they will recommend what will help the most. With this they are more often than not spot on and anything they give you seems to do the trick. Any visit here is also relatively inexpensive as they will always let you make the choice between the large brand or unbranded and cheaper medicines explaining the differences and letting you decide what you want to buy. With a pharmacy this good, unless you are seriously ill, you hardly need a GP.

I only came here looking for a packet of Lockets or Tunes for a sore throat, but this independant…read morechemists is really well stocked for a whole manner of ailments. The shop front outside looks a bit dour and uninviting, but inside it feels clean and well ordered, with a friendly, helpful owner. As it happens, they had a great range of cough syrups, Lemsips, painkillers and throat sweets. I would certainly recommend this as a viable alternative to the major chain chemists which threaten to steal all business from them. So if you live locally and are looking for some help to quit smoking or just some paracetamol this is the place.

By the look of the exterior of W K & Son, you might think the owners would try to cure all your…read moreailment with leaches and enemas. But surprisingly this a pretty up to date pharmacy. It's great that this, and other, local independent chemists can stay open. Its especially good when they feel really unique. King & Son has a retro exterior but inside you can imagine what a ye olde chemist was like, but it's full of new fangled products like food supplements and "medicine". Of course they also offer usual chemist services like counter and prescription medicines. This is a great local shop that is far superior in service and quality that your any-old chain store pharmacy.

Grange Pharmacy is a little local pharmacy tucked down Beaufort road, between Marchmont and…read moreNewington. Grange is just the sort of chemist you would expect. It offers counter and prescription medication, and sells a selection of chemist sorts of things, like toiletries and first aid items. It's quite a small pharmacy so don't expect a huge range of extras to refill your cosmetics bag. Grange exists first and foremost to dispense medication to the local area.

The chemists here are pretty nice folks. They caught some mistakes that some inept local GP's made,…read morewhich I appreciated and for that, they can have four stars and their very own Yelp review. Hurrah! Other than that, it's a tiny little storefront in not the greatest of areas.. but whaddaya gonna do? Not everyone can be in the best of neighborhoods but everyone needs their local shops. This one is pretty good for basic needs, although it's a bit funny how they have to lock down the storefront at night to keep away the meth-heads.

This is a lovely small pharmacy/chemist shop…read more Loads and loads of great deals on offer at any one time and a decent selection of products. They stock a lovely range of Christmas gifts when the festive season is upon us. The staff are extremely professional and helpful at all times. Ordering something in is made easy and pleasant. They also have a clinic offering such things as reflexology, smoking cessation groups, wellbeing advice, basic testing etc. The only thing I think could be improved is their range of baby-related items. There's money to be made!