dearPHARMACIST Feb 2014 Ed 3

dearPHARMACIST 8-page health pullout

February 2014 Edition 3

8-Page health pullout Blood pressure l Digestive health l Minor Ailments Service l MediBOX Service SUPPORTED BY

Inside...

Take on that age old battle and fight the signs of ageing (Page 4), plus don’t let IBS take control and lots more...

TAKING CARE OF YOU MATTERS

About us

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FREE HEALTH ADVICE

What we do dearPHARMACIST is a new innovation for you to be able to engage with a healthcare professional without an appointment.

www.

ASK dearPHARMACIST .info

Meet dearPHARMACIST Mr Sunil K Kochhar

Advice is free, convenient and is delivered by a General Pharmaceutical Council-registered pharmacist. dearPHARMACIST will be on hand to signpost you to the right healthcare service.

Over several years, Sunil, has managed varied and diverse roles within the pharmacy. He has a great bond with his community, continually delivering regular healthy day events, support and advice. He is committed to your health and wellbeing.

Our aim is to improve your health and wellbeing. Matters such as weight loss, stopsmoking support, sexual health, alcohol support and many other services will be available in various formats.

www.dearPHARMACIST.info is an innovative service enabling you to get your health question answered. It’s convenient, simple and quick. There is no need for an appointment, just log on to www.dearPHARMACIST.info and click on the ASKdearPHARMACIST icon.

dearPHARMACIST aims to be your first choice for health-related questions and answers. Feel free to ask anything.

All questions posted on the ASKdearPHARMACIST website are confidential and furthermore they go directly to Sunil, who responds professionally to your questions. Sunil is based at Regent Pharmacy in Gravesend. Come and visit him to chat, plan and take action over your health needs and issues.

Your posts will be available for others to learn from and get help through our responses. dearPHARMACIST is your digital healthcare professional.

To keep up to date with health information, services, offers and events please follow us on facebook. Like our page www.facebook.com/dearPHARMACIST

CHAT-PLAN-ACTION... one-to-one

FREE one-to-one private consultation dearPHARMACIST offers free, confidential one-to-one support, to help you make positive lifestyle changes. This can be done in THREE simple steps.

CHAT: dearPHARMACIST will sit down with you in a private consultation area to establish your health and well-being issues.

PLAN: a personalised plan will be created to allow you to set up goals that

care

CONFIDENTIAL

you should aim for to improve your health and well-being.

ACTION: dearPHARMACIST and the team at Regent Pharmacy will support,

encourage and provide tools to achieve and action all your goals.

FREE ONE-TO-ONE PRIVATE CONSULTATION

*Bring voucher to claim

Come in today for your private Chat-Plan-Action Consultation.

No appointment necessary.

Issues helped have included: l Healthy weight l Stopping smoking l Reducing stress l Sexual health l Depression l Aches and pains l Getting the most of your medication l Recovery from illness l Skin conditions l Preventative care and much more

PRIVATE Chat-Plan-Action consultation

www.dearpharmacist.info

At the heart of the matter

CUTTING DOWN ON HEART DISEASE

Keeping hearts healthy Your heart is a muscle, about the size of a fist. It is in the middle of your chest tilted slightly to the left.

Each day, your heart beats about 100,000 times. It pumps about 23,000 litres (5,000 gallons) of blood around your body. This blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to all parts of your body, and carries away unwanted carbon dioxide and waste products.

For this reason dearPHARMACIST wants you to keep your heart healthy. Whether you already have heart disease or not, it’s important to reduce your risk factors to heart disease; also known as coronary heart disease (CHD).

Risk factors of CHD include lack of exercise, smoking, diet, stress, alcohol, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, ethnicity and family history. dearPHARMACIST can help you improve your heart health.

The more risk factors for CHD you have, the greater your chance of developing it.

The good news is that for most risk factors, dearPHARMACIST can help you do something about them. Pop in-store to have a risk assessment done.

Visit dearPHARMACIST at Regent Pharmacy, 19 Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent DA12 1AS. No appointment required.

For more information go to www.dearPHARMACIST.info or contact us on 01474 534771.

Get your blood pressure checked

Do you know what your blood pressure is?

SPECIAL OFFER

High blood pressure is not something you feel or notice, so the only way to know what your blood pressure is, is to have it measured. It is important that you get your blood pressure measured today with dearPHARMACIST. As part of our Keeping Hearts Healthy campaign; dearPHARMACIST will be performing blood pressure readings.

During the consultation, you will have a risk assessment performed. With your readings and risks; dearPHARMACIST will put into place an action care plan.

If you do not have high blood pressure you can keep it this way by following dearPHARMACIST’s top tips for a healthy heart.

However, after your risk assessment and blood pressure reading, dearPHARMACIST may liaise with your GP, if required, to improve your health.

Beetroot juice has been associated with helping maintain a healthy blood pressure. Studies have found a link between the active elements of beetroot juice and lowering of blood pressure.

One of dearPHARMACIST’s recommendations is to take 30ml of BeetActive Concentrate daily to help maintain your blood pressure. Follow instructions on dilution of the concentrate.

www.dearpharmacist.info

A bottle of BeetActive and a heart health risk assessment will be given FREE to the first 20 dP readers.

If you miss out on this FREE offer, don’t worry you can claim £1 off a bottle of BeetActive with this voucher.* Bring in-store to claim your free bottle today!

REGENT PHARMACY 19 Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1AS Tel: 01474 534771 No appointment required; pop in today *Valid until April 2014

Menopause side effects

THE AGE OLD BATTLE

Blame it on menopause It’s not a secret! Menopause has side effects; unfortunately these are visible on your face.

Even with continual care, moisturising and protection from sun damage, eventually you will start to notice your cheeks looking hollow, your jaw line losing definition, and your neck feeling less smooth.

Let’s not forget the crinkles around your eyes and the faint lines around your mouth.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom!

Firstly lets blame menopause!

As your skin-protecting hormones deplete sharply in menopause, it will affect your skin on every level. Your skin’s renewal rate and tone will reduce as you go through the menopause.

There is good news! dearPHARMACIST can help you tackle these side-effects of menopause with just some simple steps.

Here’s how…

1 Focus on smart fats.

Essential fatty acids – like the omega-3s found in salmon, walnuts, fortified eggs or algae oils – help produce your skin’s oil barrier, vital in keeping skin hydrated.

2 Drink plenty of water.

3 Apply Sun Screen.

Dry skin, wrinkles, moles, and skin cancers can all result from too much sun, so add a sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection to your line of defence. Aim for about an ounce to cover all sun-exposed skin.

4 Avoid stripping your natural oils.

A lot of us use piping hot water for a bath or shower. This can be harsh and dry out your skin. Take shorter showers and use warm water.

5 Use Eucerin® Hyaluron-Filler as part of your daily skin care regime.

Eucerin® Hyaluron-Filler - anti-wrinkle care

Fight signs of ageing When growing older, the skin becomes thinner and doesn’t regenerate as quickly. Wrinkles appear, accompanied by skin sagging. This hormonallyconditioned process is caused by decreased production and increased degradation of the connective skin tissue components.

Their stability mostly depends on the amount and structure of collagen, elastic fibres and filling substances.

SPECIAL OFFER

Especially after the menopause, the production of the connective skin tissue components declines significantly, by up to 30% within the first five years, which results in the abatement of cutaneous density.

Eucerin® Hyaluron-Filler – Intensive wrinkle-filling serum concentrate This light and fast-absorbing serum concentrate was developed to maximise the effect of daily anti-wrinkle care. With highly concentrated hyaluronic acid and saponin, this serum concentrate penetrates into the deepest layers of the epidermis. With daily use it reinforces the filling effects of antiageing care from the inside out – even for deep wrinkles.

The combination of Eucerin® HyaluronFiller Day Care or Night Care and the new serum concentrate has proven to be particularly effective.

Pop in-store for a free skin consultation, and pick up your free Eucerin sample.

www.dearpharmacist.info

20% off any Eucerin product Limited offer – ends April 2014

Bring this voucher to claim at Regent Pharmacy, 19 Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent DA12 1AS. Telephone 01474 534 771

OUR GUIDE TO Digestive health

Tackling IBS

Don’t let IBS take control of your bowel Learning how to eat is the first step to controlling your IBS. It’s not just what you eat, but when and how.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common complaint seen by dearPHARMACIST. It affects up to one in three people at some point in their lives.

Onset can be at any time and symptoms can include abdominal pain, bloating, wind, diarrhoea and constipation.

Women are three times more likely to get IBS compared to men. It is possible to make some changes that help you manage the condition. You can take control of your IBS by tackling your diet, fitness and stress levels.

Supplements and natural remedies can also help support this.

Most sufferers realise that their symptoms often trigger when they have indulged in a poor diet. What many fail to understand is that the main cause is not eating properly. It is important to learn how to eat.

The main symptoms, of which are trapped wind and bloating, is due to not chewing your food and gulping food quickly. Eat slowly, little and often, at regular times, and chew your food to aid the first steps of digestion.

This will train your digestive system into a good routine and help train it to digest food properly. Another important factor is to eat lighter meals in the evening and bigger meals earlier in the day.

Regular exercise can reduce bloating and help with constipation. Aim to do at least 20 minutes of moderate exercise daily. Brisk walking is the easiest to do. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.

A research lead breakthrough...

New breakthrough for digestive support and maintenance Over the years dearPHARMACIST has noticed that IBS sufferers get a lot of abdominal pains during moments of stress. It usually stems from stress and anxiety disrupting both your breathing pattern and halting digestion.

It’s natural to swallow pockets of air during moments of stress and anxiety.

This leads to increasing the problems of wind and bloating. This ‘stress’ depletes you of your natural gut flora that helps prevent IBS symptoms. dearPHARMACIST’s aim is to restore to a healthy digestive system.

A dearPHARMACIST recommendation is Symprove. A new, research led, breakthrough for digestive support and maintenance.

Symprove contains multiple strains of live ‘friendly’ bacteria which help to maintain digestive balance.

Totally different to any other product available today, the unique bacteria in Symprove are ‘ready-to-work’ as soon as they reach the gut. No other probiotic works in the same way as Symprove.

Kings College Hospital London has lead an independent study showing significant outcomes in IBS sufferers.

Works to maintain digestive balance in just three months. Many now take control of their IBS rather then their IBS taking control of them!

You can purchase Symprove from dearPHARMACIST on-line or in-store at Regent Pharmacy, 19 Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1AS. Call 01474 534771 for more information.

www.dearpharmacist.info

SPECIAL OFFER Get

£5 off

a bottle of

Symprove Simply bring this voucher in to Regent Pharmacy, 19 Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent DA12 1AS Valid until end of April 2014

Minor Ailments Service

TAKING CARE OF THE FAMILY

No GP appointments, come and see dearPHARMACIST Using this Minor Ailments Service will help you, your family and reduce the back log of appointments at your GP surgery for more urgent care issues.

dearPHARMACIST always gives advice and recommends the right medication and treatment for you and your family. Now dearPHARMACIST can give you advice and treatment on the NHS, without visiting your doctor.

dearPHARMACIST is ideally placed, and furthermore, no appointment is necessary. dearPHARMACIST will communicate with your GP surgery to get the most suitable treatment for you and your family.

If you or a family member do not pay for medication, all products on this service will be free. dearPHARMACIST always has free advice to give regardless of your exemption status.

If you are suffering any of the minor ailments, instead of booking in with your GP, pop in to see dearPHARMACIST at Regent Pharmacy, 19 Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent DA12 1AS. Telephone 01474 534771.

No appointment required.

NHS treatments are available for the following conditions: Coughs; back aches; colds; thrush; fever; pain; hayfever; allergic reactions; eczema/dermatitis; minor skin fungal infections; headache; insect bites; cold sores; conjunctivitis; constipation and diarrhoea.

Confidential and anonymous consultations

Morning after pill If you have had unprotected sex in the past three days, or if your usual form of contraception may have failed you might be worried about getting pregnant.

It may be possible for you to take the morning after pill, also known as the emergency contraceptive pill.

This pill must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. The Emergency Contraceptive 1.5mg Tablet contains Levonorgestrel, which is a progestogen-based hormonal emergency contraceptive.

In order to get a morning after pill, you will have a confidential and anonymous consultation with dearPHARMACIST, which you should be able to do in a private area of the store. If the Emergency Contraceptive 1.5mg Tablet is suitable for you, the dearPHARMACIST will be able to supply it and there is no need to go to your doctor.

DISCREET PRIVATE CONSULTATION Please bring in this token for a discreet private consultation with dearPHARMACIST Voucher code: EHCdP14

However, if dearPHARMACIST does not believe that this morning after pill is suitable for you, you may be referred back to your doctor.

www.dearpharmacist.info

Healthy Weight Support

LOSS AND MANAGEMENT

Time to get your Bio-BMI checked Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of a healthy weight for most people, and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

BMI is not a diagnostic tool, and this is why dearPHARMACIST does not just rely on BMI calculations alone to determine your health.

There are a number of factors that may contribute to a weight issue. dearPHARMACIST will measure these and then put together a Bio-BMI check. This includes your waist:hip ratio, blood pressure and glucose reading. The assessments might include skinfold thickness measurements, body-fat monitoring, evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history and other appropriate health screenings.

Once a Bio-BMI check is done, dearPHARMACIST will go through your results and work out an action plan towards a healthy weight, reducing your risk towards Type 2 diabetes, depression, cancers, heart disease and infertility.

Losing even a small amount of weight can make a big difference to your health.

Weight loss will help you reduce your risk of: l Diabetes l Infertility

l High blood pressure l Depression

l Cancer l Cholesterol

Type 2 diabetics will get the greatest impact

SPECIAL OFFER

GET YOUR FREE Bio-BMI HEALTH CHECK Simply bring this voucher in to Regent Pharmacy, 19 Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent DA12 1AS

Tel: 01474 534771

dearPHARMACIST has helped Type 2 diabetics to achieve a healthy weight. What’s amazing is with a programme called Lipotrim, dearPHARMACIST has helped clients achieve a loss of one stone in four weeks.* This not only improves your health, but for those already diagnosed as Type 2 diabetics, the programme can help you reduce the amount of medication you are on and, in some cases, it’s been known to get you off your Type 2 diabetes medication.

This program is controlled by dearPHARMACIST in conjunction with your doctor. That way your health is looked after in a controlled manner.

Please phone and book your FREE Bio-BMI check today. It will be the start of a new you!

Call us on 01474 534771 or go to www.lipotrim.info *Expected weight loss in a month; 1 stone (females) or 1.5 stones (males)

www.dearpharmacist.info

MediBOX Service

HELP WITH TAKING PRESCRIBED MEDICINES

MediBOX Service: Assisted Independence – let dearPHARMACIST help It is important that you take the right dose of your prescribed medicines at the right time each day to get the most from your medicines to control your condition as much as possible.

This can sometimes be difficult if you take more than one medicine.

l Struggle to organise medications and find it difficult to remember to take them at the correct time each day

One way in which this can be made easier is for your medicines to be supplied in a Monitored Dosage System, which provides you with a separate compartment for each dosage time of the day.

l Find it difficult to remove medication from its packaging

dearPHARMACIST can help identify if this type of system would be suitable for you. In some circumstances simple medical aids have helped. These will be issued with your repeat prescriptions when dispensed.

This is a FREE service from dearPHARMACIST

MediBOX Service may be suitable for patients in the following circumstances:

l Have a large number of medications to take each day

l Have a carer who helps you to ensure you take your medicines correctly If you feel you could benefit, pop in today for a MediBOX assessment. Assisted Independence, let dearPHARMACIST help. Pop in store today; Regent Pharmacy, 19 Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent DA12 1AS. Telephone 01474 534771.

Don’t just take our word for it... ask Julia

We asked Julia, how MediBOX services helped her Julia, from Kent says: “I have been using dearPHARMACIST’s MediBOX service for my parents’ prescriptions for a few months now, having discussed with dearPHARMACIST how best to ensure that all medicines were being taken and at the right time.”

“Between them, they take quite a few medicines, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to be sure that they had been taken at the correct time, if at all. Especially, as in my father’s case, he has one tablet to take once a week, and this was often forgotten.”

dearPHARMACIST fills the prescriptions, and then places all the medication prescribed into the MediBOXes.

“dearPHARMACIST fills the prescriptions, and then places all the medication prescribed into the MediBOXes. Each MediBOX lasts seven days, has four compartments for each day. This means that at a glance anyone can see if the prescribed medication has been taken and if not, make sure they are. This also aids when to order the next lot of prescriptions so they are never out of their medication.”

“This method makes sure all the medication required are in one place, so no need to have loads of packets and bottles to open and sort out, and drop on the floor! Again, it ensures that the correct medication All in all this is taken at the has proved the correct time of day.”

way forward for us

This method makes sure all the medication required are in one place, so no need to have loads of packets and bottles to open and sort out, and drop on the floor!

This means that a glance anyone can see if the prescribed medication has been taken...

www.dearpharmacist.info

“All in all this has proved the way forward for us. I can stay at ease knowing my parents are being looked after without any worry.”

“MediBOX is useful in making sure your medical condition stays stable and improves the overall ease of taking medication.”

Published on behalf of dearPHARMACIST by the KM Group, Medway House, Ginsbury Close, Thomas Longley Road, Medway City Estate, Strood ME2 4DU