If you're a pharmacist you might start feeling guilty as soon as you read through the checklist that follows and find that you've fallen short on your duties!
Have you in the past year:
- Initiated & monitored patient therapies
- Conducted/initiated community health talks
- Conducted/initiated health expos/ campaigns challenges or competitions
- Led/ participated professionally in health awareness days
- Led/participated professionally in health screening days
- Demonstrated pharmacological and pharmaceutical expertise in patient interactions or interventions
- Acted in any other intentional health promotional activity
If you have done some or all; that's excellent [insert pat on your back] but the reality is most haven't. Did you know that this is part of your scope and uties as a professional sworn pharmacist? Without getting into the numerous reasons why many have not regardless of subfield or sector; lets try and highlight a few crucial reasons why you now should reconsider. Get involved today!
Shocker: The Global Disease Burden quickly rising with many preventable illnesses, diseases and deaths occuring on your watch. 🙈
1) don't be shortsighted, the smallest act matters:
If you dont plan to intervene on purpose, it will never happen or become effortless.
E.g. lady comes in for morning after pill. You give her the form she signs and you issue the pill.
Now If you had planned for intentional preventative care, you would inform her that as part of preventative care you'd like to add value to her purchase by enquire about her (their) past experiences/concerns if any, with STI's / STD's and offer measures on how to prevent them in the future. Having pamflets ready greatly assist with this. Offering (free where possible) HIV screening to know her status and handing out (free) condoms would also supplement the encounter. Highlighting risks can steer even one person clear. If response is favorable and you notice a trend or young students from a campus near by (school/college/university), go as far as asking for contacts to plan a sexual health talk in a relevant upcoming session/event.
Even if youre not in retail or hospital don't think you are left out, local park runs, weekend expos and many other community events need you to volunteer. Speak to the organizers. Get a few colleagues together especially interns and students to put together a short 10mins relevant talk before or after the event.
2) don't outsource, YOU are qualified:
Pharmacists are more than able professionally (and within scope) to conduct primary (preventive) health care. You can do most screenings, immunisations, counselling and basic diagnoses (s3: self limiting)! If not get a PCDT pharmacist who can. Add medication management and reviews and you've got yourwork cut out for an entire day/event! Don't employ additional proffessionals if you dont have to. Nurses and physicians are great but they will never be pharmacists. In a pharmacy you alone have the entire holistic view of the patient's condition. Show expertise. Your call on the actions to take will be most wholesomely accurate. Plus, we are trying to shine the pharmacist light. The other professionals can campaign for themselves!
If you must outsource, stay on top of things and in the know. Your pharmacology and pharmaceutics are your unique differentiators. Incorporate then in the care process.
Never let such a huge aspect of your patient's care be completely out of your hands. Follow ups will be difficult if you don't partake.
If you must outsource, stay on top of things and in the know. Your pharmacology and pharmaceutics are your unique differentiators. Incorporate then in the care process.
Never let such a huge aspect of your patient's care be completely out of your hands. Follow ups will be difficult if you don't partake.
3) Do anticipate trends, timely and tailored:
If the majority of your patients are diabetic, conduct diabetes awareness days, talks, management series etc. Serve the specific needs of your patients while preventing many more from developing the disease, complications or deteriorations. Metabolic diseases are majorly lifestyle disease, show the correlations, and tie them up together to demonstrate "cause and effect". Mental health is still very entwined yet ignored, stats will shock and awaken your crowds. Have no sugar days (and I dont mean substitute real sugar for the fake toxic carcinogenic stuff); do biggest loser competitions too and include kids and teen! Both reap tremendous health benefits in the long run.
4) Do offer prevention products & services:
Preventative vaccines such as those for Influenza or HPV have been demonstrated to greatly reduce disease burden. Especially in the risk groups.
Health isles with preventative medicines such as supplements, boosters, aids etc may also offer great support to patients but still require your expert advice (even if just on cost, effectiveness, combinations or comorbid risks). Couple these with screening services and run monthly competitions for the ultimate "Preventative Care" packages.
Keep them interested.
You may already offer these services indivudually but renaming and regrouping them can have a unique flair and appeal.
Keep them interested.
You may already offer these services indivudually but renaming and regrouping them can have a unique flair and appeal.
Encourage healthy weight by measuring patient BMIs to stay within ranges and offer to assist those who fall outside of margins with nutritional supplements or referrals to nutritionists/ dieticians as needed.
5) Do support your patients:
Perspective is everything. If you refer to them as clients or customers, you lose the care aspect to when they are patients. The power dynamics shift and power struggles result.
Perspective is everything. If you refer to them as clients or customers, you lose the care aspect to when they are patients. The power dynamics shift and power struggles result.
Show your patients you care by putting their health needs first.
Smoking cessation is another big topic to tackle, offer close monitoring, otc gums or patches and if needed referals but ultimately patients want to feel heard and understood. Acknowledge their struggle. Often the smoker only needs your professional push and assistance to quit/start the quitting journey. Have that chat with them highlighting positive effects and avail yourself. Establish channels and create quick/easily accessible directories/ contact lists. Imparted confidence is what every patient needs to succeed.
Smoking cessation is another big topic to tackle, offer close monitoring, otc gums or patches and if needed referals but ultimately patients want to feel heard and understood. Acknowledge their struggle. Often the smoker only needs your professional push and assistance to quit/start the quitting journey. Have that chat with them highlighting positive effects and avail yourself. Establish channels and create quick/easily accessible directories/ contact lists. Imparted confidence is what every patient needs to succeed.
There is a lot of work to be done and patients need to see this happening. Pharmacy is not just pills. Phamacy is you and your added value to therapies.
If you're not a pharmacist atleast now you know all the services you should be able to benefit from; go ahead and request them.
#pharmers
#pharmacy
#preventiveCare
#forTheLoveOfHealth
#preventiveCare
#forTheLoveOfHealth
Thanks for a great article
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