In less than 1 week’s time will see the start of Ask Your Pharmacist
(AYP) Week 2015, running from 9-15 November 2015. During past AYP weeks,
there have been exhibitions, social media campaigns, opinion surveys by
students, poster campaigns etc. to increase patient awareness regarding
pharmacy as a healthcare resource.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has published numerous
videos, such as one that discusses the services patients can expect from
their local pharmacy, in addition to information about pharmacy
services which are useful for men, as previous AYP weeks have aimed to
boost awareness for men’s health.
For AYP 2015, the primary aims will be to
raise public awareness about the services provided at local pharmacies
in the framework of the theme “Ask Your Pharmacist about Medicines and
More”, such as hammering home the message that a pharmacy isn’t merely
just a place to go to collect prescribed medication.
The pharmacy can be so much more! For example, some might be unaware
that pharmacies can even provide services to help people stop smoking,
maintain a healthy weight, manage alcohol consumption and offer
screening and health checks, such as sexually transmitted infection and
blood pressure testing. The great news is that patients can pop in
without the need for an appointment and many of these services are
completely free.
Also, with winter fast approaching, it is also worth remembering that
many local pharmacies provide flu jabs – free of charge on the NHS for
those in the ‘at risk’ groups. There are an estimated 13,000 community
pharmacies within the UK and 96% of people can access a pharmacy in 20
minutes, either by foot or via public transport.
One of the aims of AYP week is that patients understand that pharmacists are not just there for handing out prescriptions and
painkillers.
This is crucial now more than ever with the government cutting funding
for many GP surgeries, meaning it is increasingly difficult to get a
doctor’s appointment, and pharmacists are becoming more important.
Approximately 50 million GP visits each year are for non-life
threatening problems such as coughs and colds, mild eczema and athlete’s
foot. However, if people popped into their local pharmacy instead, they
could save both themselves and their GP time and trouble. Instead of
attempting to book, and then waiting, for a GP appointment, why not go
to see your local pharmacist at any time.
Moreover, we at Medical Specialists® Pharmacy know that it can be
sometimes near-impossible nowadays to get in at the doctors, and many
patients find it difficult going to the doctor about more ‘embarrassing’
conditions, such as requesting
Viagra for erectile dysfunction,
or antibiotics for sexually transmitted infections, which is why 1,000s
of new patients are coming to Medical Specialists® each and every
month.
Please note that for every prescription medication mentioned which
are provided by Medical Specialists®, all patients must first undergo an
online consultation with one of the GMC-registered doctors at Medical
Specialists®, or send in a private prescription by post, obtained by the
patient’s own doctor.
On top of this, Medical Specialists® already have an ‘
Ask Our Doctor / Pharmacist’
facility on the Medical Specialists® website, negating the need to
physically attend a pharmacy – some people might struggle to get to a
pharmacy during the week due to work commitments.
Patients can simply fill in their details – including email address –
and whatever the enquiry may be. It doesn’t matter how trivial it is,
whether it is a question regarding the safety and efficacy of taking 2
different medications together, possible side effects of a new
treatment, or if you would like Medical Specialists® to begin to stock a
particular product or type of medication…simply fill in the query and
one of the Medical Specialists® doctors or pharmacists will use their
experience and knowledge to provide a detailed, helpful response by
email.
In addition, every year the NHS spends around £12 billion on
medicines, but between 30 and 50 per cent of patients aren’t taking them
as prescribed. Don’t forget, all pharmacists are trained in medicine,
so they can suggest an alternative if a patient is having problems with a
drug, or offer advice to that patient, especially if he or she is
taking multiple medications.
NHS Choices offer comprehensive advice on when it is appropriate to
speak to a pharmacist, or when it would be better to see a GP or even go
straight to accident and emergency at hospital.
Their website states:
Your pharmacist may be able to help with:
- Skin conditions, such as mild acne and mild eczema.
- Coughs and colds, including nasal congestion and sore throat.
- Minor cuts and bruises.
- Constipation and haemorrhoids (piles).
- Hay fever and allergies.
- Aches and pains, such as headaches, earache and back pain.
- Indigestion, diarrhoea and threadworms.
- Period pain and thrush.
- Warts and verrucas, mouth ulcers and cold sores.
- Athlete’s foot.
- Nappy rash and teething.
Some pharmacies also provide truss fittings, stoma products and incontinence supplies.
Go to your GP or a walk-in centre for:
- Wound and dressing care.
- Muscle and joint injuries, including strains and sprains.
- Minor lacerations and cuts.
- Infected wounds.
Go to accident and emergency (A&E) for:
- Head injuries or loss of consciousness.
- Suturing (stitches).
- Foreign bodies.
- Suspected broken bones or heavy blood loss.
- Persistent chest pain or difficulty breathing.
- Overdose or poisoning.
If an injury or illness is not serious, patients can seek help from a
minor injuries unit (MIU), rather than going to an A&E department,
plus there is also the
NHS Choices online symptom checker, NHS 111 or an NHS walk-in or urgent care centres.
Activities planned during Ask Your Pharmacist Week include health
checks in shopping centres across the UK, community talks, pharmacy
window displays and pharmacy visits by local dignitaries.
