The entire dynamic of pharmacy shifted last month when the Department announced its pre-orchestrated attempts to reform the Minor Ailments Scheme. Contractors, backed by the Ulster Chemists’ Association (UCA) and the Pharmaceutical Contractors’ Committee (PCC), withdrew from the service en masse much to the Department’s pr...
With high blood pressure thought to affect as many as one in five people in Northern Ireland, thousands of people throughout the country could be suffering from the condition without realising it. Gordons Chemists have made blood pressure testing a priority for their health promotion strategy, introducing free testing events at ...
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| Monday, 21 July 2008 15:37 | |
The health of hundreds of people within Northern Ireland’s agricultural sector was targeted during May’s Balmoral Show by two big players in community pharmacy. Pharmacists and representatives from Co-operative Pharmacy and Gordons Chemists were on hand at the show held in the King’s Hall, Belfast to offer free health checks and various tests.  Commenting on the success of Gordons’ involvement in Balmoral Show, Helena Buchanan, head of health promotions with Gordons described such events as “life changing”. “We have been over whelmed by the response from our attendance at the Show in previous years and it really can make a fundamental difference to people’s lives,” she explained. “Last year a staggering one in five people tested were referred on to the GP for further testing. When we first visited the show in 2005, we quickly identified the vast numbers of people from the rural and farming communities who never set foot inside their GP’s surgery or visited their local pharmacy. “We pledged, at that stage as a company to continue to bring our services to them in an environment which they were comfortable in. “Perhaps surprisingly, this applies to both sexes, but we are targeting men in particular who could be putting themselves at risk and who urgently need treatment. As in previous years our clinics will be testing for blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood glucose. These tests only take a matter of minutes but can literally prove life changing.” Northern Ireland charity Action Cancer joined Gordons for the event, bringing with them equipment that uses ultra violet light to determine the extent of sun damage on a patient’s skin. “This non-diagnostic test shows how outdoor and unprotected exposure to the sun can cause damage to the skin through an enhancement of the skin’s non-invisible layers,” Helena explained.  Meanwhile, John Stevenson from Co-op Pharmacy was joined by staff to offer blood glucose and pressure monitoring, as well as give advice on how to lead a healthier lifestyle for those working in the agricultural industry. “We find that those who live in rural areas and work in farming can be less inclined to worry about their health despite carrying out often strenuous and physically demanding work,” John said. “We attended the show to demonstrate how regularly visiting a local pharmacy can help to keep your health in check. Pharmacies are also often a great deal more accessible than GP surgeries for those in sometimes isolated, rural villages. “Farming can be a very male dominated arena to work within and while famers will always be concerned for the health and welfare of say their livestock and their families, their own wellbeing is a secondary priority,” John continued. “It is not unheard of for people aged in their fifties or sixties to visit our stand and admit they have never had their blood glucose levels checked but the Balmoral Show is a comfortable, familiar environment for them so they feel more at ease to discuss any health problems or requirements with our pharmacists.” |