#ASKdP issue 1

ISSUE 1 FREE

DECEMBER 2015

#ASKdP

JOINT CONVERSATIONS

THE SECRETS OF HYALURONIC ACID INTERVIEW WITH THE DIARY DOLLS

CAROL SMILLIE & ANNABEL CROFT FIND OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS

IS IT POSSIBLE TO LOSE A STONE IN A MONTH … SAFELY?

FLU VACCINATIONS AVAILABLE FREE

*

NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED For eligible NHS patients, also available privately.

*

FUNDED BY:

WHY YOUR HEALTH IS VITAL TO KEEP THE BODY IN GOOD HEALTH IS A DUTY … OTHERWISE WE SHALL

NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP OUR MIND STRONG AND CLEAR (BUDDHA)

This isn’t a secret . We all know that there are certain things we must do or change to improve our health and well-being. The most common ‘Top 10’ things to do are: (information taken from www.NHS.uk)

1. Check your weight - Nearly three in 10 women and four in 10 men in England are overweight.

Obesity causes 9,000 premature deaths every year and, on average, reduces life expectancy by nine years. Calculate your BMI, pop in to your pharmacy today to find out if you’re a healthy weight or whether you're at risk of serious health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.

2. Drink less alcohol - Most people are unaware that regularly drinking more alcohol than is advised by the NHS can lead to a wide range of long-term health problems, including cancers, strokes, and heart attacks. For example, men who regularly drink more than three to four units a day are three times more likely to have a stroke.

3. Eat less salt and fat - Excessive salt and fat in our diets is a major cause of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Too much salt in your food can cause high blood pressure and make you three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. Two thirds of Britons have too much saturated fat in their diets, putting them at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

4. Stick to a regular exercise regime - The benefits of exercise aren't limited to losing weight. Even if you’re slim, you’ll still get health benefits from exercising. Even a small amount of regular activity can lower the risk of developing major chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, by up to 50%. Regular exercise can cut the risk of premature death by 20-30%.

5. Eat a healthy, well-balanced, diet - For a healthy and balanced diet, try to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Research shows that eating at least 400g of fruit and vegetables a day can lower your risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

6. Control the stress in your life - In 2010/11 around 400,000 people in the UK reported workrelated stress at a level they believed was making

them ill. Psychological problems, including stress, are the underlying reason for one in five visits to a GP. If left unchecked, stress can lead to further health problems such as high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression.

7. Stop smoking - The health benefits of quitting smoking are immediate. After 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse return to normal. After 24 hours, your lungs start to clear. After three days you can breathe more easily, and your energy increases. Keep it up and you’re adding years to your life. Research shows that people who quit smoking by the age of 30 add 10 years to their life.

8. Sleep well - Nearly everyone has problems sleeping at some point in their life. It's thought that a third of people in the UK have bouts of insomnia. Most healthy adults sleep for an average of seven to nine hours a night. If you’re not getting enough sleep, it can affect relationships, your performance at work, and it can delay recovery from illness.

9. Get a sexual health test - Many people don’t notice any symptoms when they have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea. If left untreated, chlamydia can affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant.You can’t tell by looking at someone whether they’ve got an infection, so it’s important to get a check-up if you’ve ever had unprotected sex. Getting tested and treated for STIs is easier than you think, and most infections can be cured.

10.Check your lumps - One in three people in England is diagnosed with cancer at some time in their life. Cancer usually affects older people, but it can occur at any age. Detecting most cancers early means that treatment is more likely to be successful. Sometimes, noticing a small change, like a lump, changes to a mole, or unexplained weight loss, can make a big difference to your health.

What isn’t general knowledge, and one of the most unwanted secret is that help is available for improving your health and well-being at your local pharmacy.

Many NHS, and private, services are available at your local pharmacy, from Stop Smoking Service to Mole Cancer Detection Service.

Visit your local pharmacy today … and walk out healthier.

EDITOR Mr Sunil K. Kochhar Consultant Pharmacist of dearPHARMACIST.info AIMING TO BRING YOU ALL OPTIONS FOR IMPROVING YOUR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

About us

dearPHARMACIST is a new innovation for you to be able to engage with a health care professional without an appointment.

Advice is free, convenient and is available in various formats; on-line, printed and a live chat.

We aim to be your first choice for health related questions and answers. Feel free to ask a question today.

Your questions will be posted anonymously on our website for all to learn from.

Registered address and contact details

Regent Pharmacies Limited, 19 Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent DA12 1AS Tel: (01474) 534 771

05

INTERVIEW WITH THE DIARY DOLLS

Learn about their journey and how they met up with dearPHARMACIST

Thank you to

Fax: (01474) 534 394 email: ASKdP@dearpharmacist.info

Every care has been taken to put this publication together. There may be some errors unnoticed. If you see any please be reassured that they were an oversight. Feel free to bring these to our attention as we are always looking at improving this publication.

CAROL SMILLIE ANNABEL CROFT

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DIARYDOLLS

Carol Smillie & Annabel Croft

by Sunil K. Kochhar Consultant Pharmacist for www.dearPHARMACIST.info

The temperature felt hotter than usual today.

I couldn’t tell if it was natural, or because of the excitement I was feeling about interviewing Carol Smillie (CS) and Annabel Croft (AC) of DiaryDoll. DiaryDoll, besides having a name that caught my eye early on, offer the perfect pants for women on their periods who stress about accidentally leaking and ruining their favourite pair of clothes!

You can’t imagine how thrilled I was when they agreed to do this interview. I was filled to the brim with questions about their home life, their business development, and their passion behind building DiaryDoll from scratch. I couldn’t wait to begin!

[SK]: Thank you for allowing dearPHARMACIST.info to interview you both about your new innovation, DiaryDoll. So, to begin, please enlighten me on how you both became friends?

[CS]: We’ve known each other for probably more than 20 years. We used to bump into one another at TV events, and I liked Annabel immediately as she was what I’d call ‘normal’ – a rarity in the shallow world of television. She’s very grounded and not always looking over your shoulder at a star studded party!

[AC]: Our kids are virtually the same age too (girl, boy, girl) and often we would bump into one another in Portugal on holiday. Each year, we’d spend more and more time together as families on holiday. It was on one of these holidays that DiaryDoll came about.

[SK]: Who had the original idea of DiaryDoll?

[CS]: Definitely Annabel’s idea. We’d been chatting on the beach about being mothers of teenage daughters, and how they worried about having ‘accidents’ at school, during sport, or on sleepovers. On a shopping trip a couple of days later, I was putting cheap multi-

pack pairs of pants in my basket, and she asked me “what do you want these for?”

“They’re just period pants for the girls,” I said. Two hours later we were still talking as Annabel told me how she’d left home at 15 (years old) to do the international tennis circuit, staying often with host families, and how awful is was when she’d had to admit to marking the sheets in the morning. Her mum gave her what she described as ‘a shower cap with legs’ – awful scratchy plastic pants, but they did the job. Why, we wondered, is there nothing on the market nowadays, when normal sanitary protection just isn’t enough?

As women, we spend fortunes on pants that make us thin for a night, or crazy gel pads in our bras, but the one thing that every woman has to deal with, and is not a choice, seemed to have been overlooked!

[SK]: How did you come up with the name for the product?

[CS]: That was my idea. Most girls write when their cycle is due in their diary, to make sure they don’t get caught out. We wanted to allude to that in some way, without being too obvious (especially as not all women use diaries for periods).

DiaryDoll had a nice ring to it, but also a hidden message. We wanted a name that suggested a monthly issue, as so many women mark their cycle in their diary! That said, we hadn’t even considered the hundreds of thousands of women who suffer from a sensitive bladder.

They join a gym, take up running, Zumba, golf, or dare I say, jump on a trampoline … whatever. That’s when they realise their pelvic floor muscles aren’t as strong as they once were! DiaryDoll seemed to have a nice ring to it.

[SK]: I have to say, after writing my blog for your website, I’ve had family members ask me to send them DiaryDolls. So the product is understood by women of all ages … and pretty much all the female members of my family are impressed with DiaryDoll.

This must have been an easy market to enter?

[CS]: Quite the opposite. Annabel and I naively assumed our profile would be enough to generate some publicity for DiaryDoll. What we hadn’t bargained for, was the fact that most newspapers are edited by middle-aged men who almost freaked at the mention of the ‘p’ word.

It seems they are happy to print stories about breast cancer, rape, even FGM, but not this. It is neither sexy nor news worthy. Women’s plumbing, it seems, is the last taboo. We wish all men were as open minded as you Sunil!

[SK]: It seems that being celebrities you’ve had an advantage in marketing the product. Has the journey from launch to today been an easy ride?

[CS]: Aside from the marketing, it’s been a bumpy road to get here. We began by sending a hand drawing I’d done to a factory in China. When I think about that now, we were so naïve! A few months later, a pile of boxes arrived and we were up and running!

The quality of stitching wasn’t great, but the waterproofing was brilliant. After selling so well, we decided to switch manufacturing to the UK, to improve the design and be able order smaller quantities. Our first UK manufacturer went into administration, just as we were launching in John Lewis, our first major High St chain.

Annabel was in Melbourne covering the Australian Open, so couldn’t do anything about it, and I didn’t sleep a wink for weeks!

[AC]: Luckily we found a fantastic little factory in Scotland and together with them, we steadily grew the brand.

We’re now almost 3 years from launching and available in over 500 stores. We’ve kept the UK manufacturer for our small independent lingerie stores, but they couldn’t scale up, so we’ve now returned to China — this time with a very experienced lingerie brand developer for our major retailers.

[SK]: You’ve teamed up with pharmacies nationally in the UK to get your product out, how did this happen?

[AC]: We did an amazing photo shoot with our daughters for Woman & Home Magazine. It went in as a double page spread and the buyer from Alliance Healthcare saw it while visiting the dentist! We have never been so grateful for someone’s tooth decay!

[SK]: As a pharmacist, I feel that there is a huge scope for your product; how would you like the pharmacy team to engage and promote your product?

[CS]: There’s definitely an education process that needs to be explained to the customers. There’s never been anything like DiaryDolls available before now, and so displaying them beside the pads, tampons and incontinence products definitely helps.

We also supplied a sample pair with a ‘secret waterproof panel’ sticker to each pharmacy with a cable tie, to be able to attach them to the fixture. It means that each customer can feel them for themselves. The reaction is always the same — they’re amazing, and just feel like super soft pants!

[SK]: Do either of you use your community pharmacy? What in particular do you like about going to see your pharmacist?

[CS]: Yes, of course. It’s always great to be able to talk to a friendly face you know, about what it is you need. I’d always go straight to my pharmacist for minor things and try to avoid visiting my GP unnecessarily.

[AC]: I am very into holistic therapies and have a local pharmacist, who is able to help and advise what’s on the market to suit me.

[SK]: So, Carol, if you could invite 3 people to a DiaryDoll Tea Party to promote your product…

Who would they be and why choose them?

[CS]: Ooh, good question! I’d ask …

1 Jessica Ennis-Hill – Sport is one of the biggest hurdles for women either during their period or because of a sensitive bladder. So many female sports involve wearing either short skirts of white clothing! (tennis, netball, hockey, ballet, riding….)

2 The Duchess of Cornwall – She was so fantastic, clearly displaying her post-baby tummy after each birth. Who better to ‘tell it like it is’ after childbirth?

3 Malala Yousafzai – She’s young, brave, Muslim and a blogger, she’d be brilliant! Not only is she unafraid to tackle taboos, but she’d be able to highlight the cultural angle, where cleanliness is so important to Muslim women.

[SK]: Annabel, I would love to know, as a professional sports player, if you had DiaryDoll during your career, would it have made that much of an impact on you? If so, please explain why.

[AC]: It would have literally changed my life if there had been anything like that around when I was touring the world. What most people don’t realise, is that when playing professional tennis, we are only permitted 2 toilet breaks in a 3 hour match. Add to that, the fact that we are playing in a short white skirt, and you can only imagine the extra stress involved!I’d had the idea for about 20 years, but never been able to do anything about it, until I talked to Carol. She really ran with it, and I’m thrilled to see it finally happen earlier this year The current UK number 1 female tennis player, Heather Watson, dropped out of the Australian Open in the first round, due to her period cramps. I was covering the match for the BBC at the time, and was asked to comment on it. My interview was downloaded the next day by over 1 million people, proving that it’s a topic that’s high on people’s minds.

So many other high profile sportswomen came forward saying the same thing, Martina Navratilova, Paula Radcliffe, and Jo Pavey all confirmed that their cycle had often affected their performance.

[SK]: dearPHARMACIST.info is an online access to a health care professional, without an appointment, for health & well-being related questions. Even online, people still find it difficult to discuss issues like incontinence, periods and such kind… Why do you think something so natural is still awkward in this day and age?

[CS]: I think we are all partly responsible. Our mothers talked in hushed voices to us about it, our fathers avoided the whole topic, and it was always deemed as impolite conversation in most situations.

The world has moved on in so many ways, but periods and pelvic floor weakness still has an awful long way to go.

Nobody likes to think they may be ‘at that age’ – it conjures up images of being a spinster, surrounded by cats and smelling faintly of wee!

Far from it: most women after having children will find that jumping on a trampoline is definitely off limits!

We’d like to see DiaryDolls as an essential item in most women’s underwear drawer, a bit like Spanx or a sports bra. We just need to treat the whole topic as normal and not shameful.

towels, pelvic floor exercise tools… Or even a male version?

[CS]: Funnily enough, you’re not the first to suggest ‘DiaryDudes’!

We’re happy to leave normal feminine hygiene products to the big companies who already do it so brilliantly, What we do have up our sleeves, are new shapes in the pipeline. A deeper brief, a sport version and new colours like nude, and lace — lots of lace!

[SK]: Thank you both for your time today. It’s been great to listen to your story, and as a male pharmacist, I now feel confident in approaching women about DiaryDoll.

Carol and Annabel are both amazing women with an innovative product.

They are busy women, always ready for the next task on their agenda, who ultimately aim to make a great impact on women’s lives!

[SK]: How can we change this?

[AC]: By speaking out, being frank and not lowering our voices. By teaching our sons as well as our daughters, that this is what happens and it’s perfectly normal.

[SK]: What’s next for DiaryDoll? Have you considered ‘add ons’ such as matching sanitary

#ASKdP

4 Ingredients for a more Energetic You

It’s Coenzyme Q10, sometimes referred to as a ‘miracle’ antioxidant.

It helps our internal organs in two major ways:

Whether it’s business, family, the kids, or stresses from other tidbits in our daily life, we’re all living hectic lives.

1. Helps protect your body from carcinogen (cancer cells) 2. Helps recycle Vitamin E in your body

To keep on moving forward we need energy — and lots of it! The best ways to get it? Through a healthy diet and a full night’s rest.

Furthermore, Coenzyme Q10 works by controlling the flow of oxygen, making the production of energy most efficient. Meaning, having a significant amount of Coenzyme Q10 in your body will keep you more alert and energetic. Admittedly, this helps you more if you’re not currently under the weather.

But if you’re constantly on the move, it’s quite difficult to sit down for that full course meal or to get the recommended dose of 8 hours sleep.

We know a few things able to supply your body with what it needs to keep you mentally alert during the day, but help you shut off at night!

1. The Miracle Antioxidant For Success — Coenzyme Q10 No one has the time to be sick anymore. Taking even a day off from work or family life can be more stressful than simply ploughing through the day. But it’s not healthy to force yourself to keep working when your body is clearly breaking down.

How else does it help you with your daily stress?

Coenzyme Q10 prevents cell damage because of its antioxidant qualities. You can find the highest concentration of CoQ10 within our heart, kidneys, muscle, and liver.

Used with other vitamins, CoQ10 fights against immune disorders, heart diseases, muscular dystrophies and many other illnesses.

The best sources for CoQ10 is meat and fish, oils, nuts and seeds.

Luckily, there’s an antioxidant that combats sickness and allows further nutrients to be absorbed into Optime odores eam rea jam aliquo rum unquam passim vulgus. Quin hac dico quo sit meis. your body, to keep you healthy and sick-free.

2. The Chemical That Keeps Us 3. Vitamin C Mentally Alert

When you’re stressed, many bad things can start to We need our energy to get us through the day. Some happen over time. Besides anger, frustration, and turn to coffee, others require at least 8 hours of sleep watching your mental health begin to decline, you can also develop health related issues. per night, or even a combination of the two!

What you might not know is our body already produces a chemical that works directly with our brains. It’s very important because it’s what fights against diseases linked to mental decline, such as Alzheimers.

It’s called phosphatidylserine.

One prominent issue is high blood pressure. It can lead to heart diseases, complications, hair thinning, impotence and much more.

How else does it help you with your daily stress?

With a little vitamin known as vitamin C.

How else does it help you with your daily It’s an amazing antioxidant. It’s incredibly important stress? because it has the ability to: Phosphatidylserine keeps our mind and memory • neutralize free radicals sharp.

• manage your blood pressure (stabilizing) Without it, we’d have big issues with concentrating on • improves the quality of skin (it helps the cells that create collagen) and simple to complex it’s even antibacterial • tasks. Daily life is complicated enough without suffering It’s what helps stop the chain reaction of irregular with mental decline, cells that lead to the development of carcinogens. forgetfulness, and These unstable cells in our body can result in cancers and deterioration of health. fatigue.

Although our bodies are more than capable to make this chemical itself, outside contributions from our daily foods help to maintain a steady amount of the chemicals to fight against several types of illnesses including depression, ADHD, and more.

To keep phosphatidylserine flowing steady in our bodies so we’re mentally awake to drive to work, engage with customers and co-workers without feeling cranky or tired, sInclude an adequate amount of meats and fish into your diet.

You can also incorporate vegetables, but they have a much lower dosage of phosphatidylserine than the previously mentioned foods.

As you can see, if your body suffers from a vitamin C deficiency, we’d be on the fast track to sickness, weakness, restlessness and future filled with harmful illnesses.

The last thing we need is to be sick when the laundry is building, clients keep calling, and the kids need to be taken to another dance recital.

You can find vitamin C in citrus fruits, chillies, cantaloupe, kiwi and strawberries — just to name a few.

4. A More Energetic You is Closer Than You Think We can take outside supplements to boost energy.

Having a colourful diet filled with antioxidants and probiotics can definitely help you manage fatigue, headaches, and a host of other problems that make day-to-day living a struggle.

Are you Diabetic?*

Find out today!

HbA1c Testing

But did you know there’s a chemical that helps us feel more energetic from the inside?

It’s called NADH. How else does it help you with your daily stress?

It’s scientific name is “nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) + hydrogen (H)”. It’s the chemical that helps us feel energized.

Similar to Coenzyme Q10, NADH is connected to mental alertness and energy. It’s also linked to our memory capacity and concentration. Without adequate NADH in our system we’d be physically and mentally sluggish at best.

Thirsty?

Family History?

Frequent Urination?

Overweight?

Tired?

It’s not a surprise that NADH treats mental and memory type diseases such as Alzheimers. Out of the other three ingredients, due to it’s prominent connection to our energy production, NADH is best known to treat chronic fatigue system.

If our levels of NADH are too low we’ll feel slow, consistently tired to the point of being unable to function during day-to-day activities. This is a serious issue that warrants a visit to the doctor.

As for where you can supply your body with more NADH, it’s most often available through supplements and less so from foods.

Conclusion: Antioxidants are extremely important. Without them, we develop sicknesses and illnesses, weaken our immune system, and lose the energy we need to keep going in our daily lives.

By incorporating more Coenzyme Q10, Phosphatidylserine , Vitamin C , and NADH supplements into your diet, it’ll not only boost your energy supply, your immunity, mental alertness and concentration, but make put you on the right track to be successful in all aspects of your busy lives!

*Find out your diabetes status for the price of one prescription item!

Limited Offer £8.20 Live Healthier ... Live Longer No Fasting Required No Appointment Necessary

For more information please visit: www.dearPHARMACIST.info

#ASKdP

HA is found in the synovial fluid of the joints 50% of HA in the body is found in the skin Healthy vitreous gel of the eye is 92% HA

Joint Conversations : Let's Talk About Helping Your Pain!

It’s not a secret that as we age, our joints can cause us pain. They lock up and make basic walking, sitting, and standing a difficult task. We end up suffering unnecessarily and chalk it up to ‘getting older’.

If moving is a struggle and causes us intense pain, no matter what we do, we can’t enjoy our day. Work becomes a harsh struggle, enjoying time with family and friends turns into a hassle, and the only place we feel the most comfortable is at home.

We’re being limited against our will.

But there’s a reason our joints begin to ache as we age. It’s because of lack of Hyaluronan (Hyaluronic Acid, HA) in our bodies.

Our body has become a prison. It’s taken who we used to be, pre-pain, as hostage. It’s incredibly unfair to our loved ones, our friends, but most importantly to us.

What is Hyaluronan (HA) and why do I need it?

How can Syno-Vital help me?

Our body naturally produces HA. It’s found in our joints, connective tissues, skin, and eyes. When the joints are not causing pain for simple tasks, it’s because of the HA in the synovial fluid that causes lubrication of the joints.

Think of it as the fluid that keeps everything working smoothly.

On top of that, nutrients are moved through our body with the help of HA. It keeps our skin smooth because it’s dubbed ‘the ultimate natural moisturizer’. Without it, our mobility declines and the look and feel of our skin suffers significantly.

The main problem is, our body produces fewer amounts of HA and in lower qualities when our body ages or is under intense distress. Initially, our body produces HA in abundant amounts. The quality of it is high, which is why when we’re younger, our joints don’t ache, our skin is smooth, and our body transports nutrients effectively.

But as we age, the amount of HA declines. The quality worsens, leading to joint pain and dried skin. Even the quality of our hair and eyes declines. Since we lose so much quality just by ageing, our body needs to acquire Hyaluronan from outside sources.

A beneficial source is Syno-Vital: a food supplement to treat the lack of Hyaluronan in our bodies.

If you’ve already started to feel the wear and tear of your joints at an early age, it’s best to attack the problems early with Syno-Vital.

Why are Hyaluronan (HA) and Syno-Vital important for me?

Pain limits the way we live our life.

For better skin, hair, and eyes, Syno-Vital helps replenish the Hyaluronan we lose from excessive physically demanding jobs, and from ageing.

One box of Syno-Vital comes with a month supply of liquid supplements sachets to take with water, use one a day.

There have been positive reviews related to the average person using Syno-Vital. Physical stiffness of their joints have declined significantly; some clients have even able to stop using regular pain killing medication for her joint pain in favour of daily intake of Syno-Vital.

Remember: Pain killers shouldn’t be our only answer, to joint pain which is why Syno-Vital was created. To give us more options; to strengthen our eyes; benefit the condition of our hair; and make moving as pain-free as it was all those years ago.

We believe in living healthy without pain to hold us back. Joint pains, healthy hair, eyes, and body is closer than you think, in natural way, thanks to Syno-Vital.

[Advertorial]

10 Quick Things a Pharmacist Wants You to Know!

Improving Medication Safety Pharmacists undertake great care to reduce errors and harm when it comes to supplying your medicines.

They work closely with the health system to supply you with secure, regulated, and effective medication that benefit you as an individual.

But you too have the tools to increase your safety when purchasing over the counter medicines, and/or taking any prescribed medication. This post has included 10 quick and efficient steps you can do to protect your health while using medication.

Working with your pharmacist will bring you positive results, safe prescriptions, and a healthier and livelier you. To get there, all you have to do is follow these steps.

1. Take your medication Taking your medication as prescribed for as long as indicated by your pharmacist can help relieve or manage your health related condition, such as diabetes, blood pressure, asthma…the list continues.

Also discuss any side effects you may experience.

Writing down when you experience them, how often, and how severe, will help in the long run.

The informational leaflet that came with your medication will tell you what the expected side effects should be. If anything feels “off”, consult your pharmacist as soon as you’re able.

2. Inform your pharmacist about your allergies Keep your pharmacist in the know, ahead of time, if you have any medical related allergies such as penicillin, aspirin, or any other. Knowing your allergies ahead of time can help pharmacists minimise the harm you may have experienced when purchasing or collecting prescribed medication. Without this information you may be putting your health at risk.

For any additional medication purchases you make or are prescribed by your doctor, your pharmacists will have a record with the allergies you previously mentioned.

3. Listen While your pharmacist is giving you information related to the medication prescribed for your ailment, don’t be afraid to ask them any questions. Ask them to clarify: • The time that is best to take the medication • If you need to eat before, during, or after taking the medication • If consuming alcohol could cause complications or harm while on the medication • Any other questions you may have It’s best to repeat back the information your pharmacist has given you. This way you can receive direct confirmation that you fully understand the answers to your questions and you’re both on the same page before you go home.

4. Vitamins, herbs, and over the counter medication purchases Despite what you may have heard from a friend or read online, many vitamins, herbs and over the counter (OTC) medicines are not necessarily safe for consumption. Many of these medications may not be regulated for use here in the UK and could have dangerous side effects that have been kept hidden from the public.

Before making any purchases, consult with your pharmacist about the vitamins, herbs or OTC you’re interested in. They’ll know best whether it’s a regulated medicine, what side effects it may have, or if it’s something you should be staying far away from.

5. Read the label • Check to see if the name on your medication is your own.

• Even when the most care is taken, the occasional mix up can happen. Taking someone else’s prescription by mistake could harm you and your health.

• Read the directions thoroughly.

• Some medications require to be taken on an empty stomach, while others require you to eat while using, or maybe another is better taken before bed. Reading the description will tell you exactly what you need to do before taking the medication and when.

• Always check the warnings.

You can also write this down in a notepad or diary.

Keep track of the warnings on each label bottle. It’s an important list of what you should avoid while taking your medication (i.e alcohol, driving, etc) to ensure the best and safest results.

6. Ordering medication When buying, only order from a registered pharmacy or pharmacist that provides regulated medications. If you buy from an unregulated service you may be buying a medication that could be harmful.

Never borrow medication from anyone, even if it’s a close friend or family member. The medication they have is prescribed to them based on their medical history and current health. What works for them may not work for you and could give you a bad reaction.

If you’re on long-term use of medication, be sure to organise it ahead of time so you don’t run out by accident.

A better way to do this is to sign up for services offered by your pharmacist. These services are automatic and will help you order your repeat prescriptions: you stay in control, your GP is involved, and the pharmacy team does the running

around. This way you won’t have to worry about running out of your medication.

7. What’s in the box?

Medication often comes with a booklet or a leaflet jam packed with information related to warnings, side effects, directions, and background information about the medication and/or the company behind it.

This is all very important and very useful, so be sure to read through the leaflet thoroughly to soak in as much information as you can.

The expiry date should also be in the leaflet. Keep a

close eye on this and don’t continue to take your medications after that date. It could be harmful to your health.

8. Storing your medications How and where you store your prescription is important. Information related to this can be found on the label or in a information leaflet that came with your prescription. Some medications are temperature sensitive. They may become ineffective or dangerous if not stored in the appropriate temperature.

If you’re travelling with your medication keep it in their labelled containers so all the information related to directions and dosage are right with you.

Keep it somewhere close but in a low temperature location.

9. Keeping your pharmacists in the know Keep your pharmacist in the know about your hospital visits, no matter how frequent or infrequent. Keep them updated with your ailments, symptoms, healing process, and any or all side effects you’ve experienced while on your medication.

The more your pharmacist knows about your health and how its doing, the better they can help you.

10. Knowing your medicines The best and quickest way to understand medicines is with a one-on-one consultation with your pharmacist.

You can do this through these three authoritative channels: Medication Use Review (MUR): Talk to a pharmacist one-on-one to discuss any health issues you have and to also highlight any reason your medication may not be right for you. The pharmacist will go through your regular medication to make sure you know what they are for, why you are taking them, and the correct way of taking your medication.

New Medicine Service (NMS): When given new medications, pharmacists are there to make sure you don’t suffer any side effects and everything works as it should. Pharmacists will also monitor any issues that could possibly happen.  Ask dearPHARMACIST: You can talk directly to a qualified and registered pharmacist from the comfort of home through an online channel. Ask as many questions as you need to. Nothing is too small to discuss.

These channels can provide you with an overview of your medication including any and all background information, side effects, and instructions for use. They may even suggest new medications that could fit your ailment and needs better. Be sure to write down or save the information they give you to look back on.

Remember: Keep your pharmacist and these 10 points in mind when you take, order, or are prescribed any medication! #ASKdP

Pharmacy Walk-in Clinics the new way to get NHS treatments for common conditions Many of us know the frustration when we aren't well and try to book an appointment to see a GP. Most of the time there isn't any availability, the waiting time is longer than your recovery time or simply the time slots aren’t convenient to fit around our busy lifestyles.

You can avoid all this frustration by visiting one of the pharmacy walk-in clinics that offers a Minor Ailments Service. You will have a one to one consultation with the pharmacist, who will offer advice and if need be, supply a medicine to treat your condition, all as part of an NHS service.

Your pharmacist is an expert in medicines and can offer the most effective treatment for your symptoms. Pharmacists undergo extensive training in medicines, attend 4 years in university and have to undergo 1 year supervised training, before registering as a qualified pharmacist. You will be under great care from your pharmacist.

Pharmacies deliver a service that is unique; you don’t need an appointment, advice and product are available under one roof, plus if you need to be seen by the GP, after your pharmacist consultation, you will receive a referral form to summarise the consultation to improve your health outcomes.

By visiting a participating pharmacy first, you are saving yourself time & hassle, freeing up the GP workload to allow for more urgent cases to be seen on time, and furthermore, you will be helping the NHS save money to improve treatments in other areas.

Next time you are suffering a common condition, pop into your local NHS Pharmacy Walk-In Clinic.

The Minor Ailments Service helps treat common conditions such as: Cold Sores, Conjunctivitis, Constipation, Cough, Diarrhoea, Earache, Eczema / Contact dermatitis, Fever /Flu, Insect Bites / Allergic Reactions, Hay Fever & Allergic Rhinitis, Headache, Indigestion / Heartburn, Nasal Congestion, Sore throat, Sprain or Strain and Thrush.

For further information, or on-line advice, please visit www.dearPHARMACIST.info

Pharmacy Walk-In Clinic NHS treatments for common conditions

Providing NHS Services