Helping you deliver patient-centred care with the latest news and essential information about key products and developments in store.
Diabetes prevention
Brought to you by Public Health England, NHS England and Diabetes UK, Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week is taking place 10-16 May this year. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes and what people can do to reduce their risk. Click on the article below, Preventing type 2 diabetes, to find out how you can support customers who are at risk.
COVID-19 testing
This month's interview is with Louise, Erjola, Nino and Michelle, COVID-19 testers at Boots Piccadilly Circus, London. They give us all the details on how their store has changed since the pandemic began and what it's like to be a COVID-19 tester. Click on the interview to find out more. If you're interested in learning about the COVID-19 testing services Boots offers, go to Boots.com/covid-19-testing.
Click the boxes below for product updates and news.
- Products & updates
- Help to Move
Past Pain
- Preventing
type 2 diabetes
- Recognition of
Excellence Awards 2021
- Interview
Emla Cream 5% (P)
Lidocaine; prilocaine
Item code: See Boots.com
Topical numbing cream for a less painful needle experience.
Emla is a topical anaesthetic cream which can be applied before a range of needle procedures, including vaccinations, blood tests and cosmetic needle procedures, such as tattoos.
It can reduce needle pain, which may in turn ease stress and fear.
Customers who fear needles, or simply wish to reduce needle pain, can buy Emla without a prescription.
Emla is available in 5 g and 30 g packs. Some packs contain suitable dressings to cover the cream.
Advise customers to read the enclosed leaflet for directions for use.
See bottom of page for product information.
UK-LIDP-02-21-00005 February 2021
PaediaSure Shake
Item codes: See Boots.com
A nutritional supplement drink for children aged one to 10 years who are going through a fussy eating phase, recovering after feeling under the weather, or for very active kids needing a boost of nutrition.*
PaediaSure Shake contains protein, omega 3 and 6 plus 26 vitamins and minerals to support growth and development:†
- Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system in children
- Essential fatty acids to support growth and development†
- Protein is needed for normal growth and the development of bone in children
- Iron contributes to normal cognitive development.
Available in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavours. For directions for use, see product pack.
Find out more about PaediaSure Shake in March's Mini Tutor, Nutrition through childhood
Date of preparation March 2021. UK-PDSHK-2000050V3
Vitality CBD Oral Spray
Item code: 85-88-988
Vitality CBD is committed to research and product development, ensuring they produce the best quality CBD products available.‡§
- All-natural, premium CBD oral spray
- No THC
- Non-psychotropic
- Suitable from 18 years.
Advise customers to refer to product packaging for directions for use.
Do not exceed the recommended dose.
Salonpas Pain Relief Patch (GSL)
Methyl salicylate; levomenthol
Item code: 78-73-360
An anti-inflammatory patch for pain relief of muscle and joints associated with strains, sprains, backache and bruises.
Salonpas Pain Relief Patch:
- Delivers the active ingredients directly to the site of pain with less systemic exposure
- Works for up to 12 hours
- Stretchable and flexible
- Can be used on and around joints
- Easy to apply.
This product is suitable for adults aged 18 years and over. For usage and directions, read the product pack and leaflet. Customers should be advised to use no more than two plasters in 24 hours. The patches should not be used for more than three days in a row.
See bottom of page for product information.
Emla Cream 5% (Lidocaine 2.5%, Prilocaine 2.5%). For topical anaesthesia of the skin in connection with needle insertion in adults and children. Aspen Pharma Trading Limited, 3016 Lake Drive, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, Ireland. Legal category: P. Information about this product, including adverse reactions, precautions, contraindications and method of use can be found at: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/871
Salonpas Pain Relief Patch contains Methyl Salicylate; Levomenthol. Indications: For the symptomatic relief of pain of muscles and joints associated with strains and sprains. Legal category: GSL. Information about this product, including adverse reactions, precautions, contraindications and method of use can be found at https://mhraproductsprod.blob.core.windows.net/docs-20200204/3fb5807bbe852cb8f876082cf692e17676d812bb Marketing authorisation number: PL 23168/0001. Further information is available from Licence Holder: Hisamitsu UK Limited, 5 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1LG, UK. Last revised: February 2020.
HELP TO MOVE PAST PAIN
Around 10 million people in the UK suffer from pain every day and Boots is on a mission to help them move past their pain. We want to empower our customers to be able lead a better life through the holistic management of their pain.
On 24 March, we launched a campaign to help our customers who are affected by pain: Help to Move Past Pain. The ambition for this campaign is to talk about pain holistically and give our customers the tools to be able to improve their experience with pain; whether it be through our existing range, exciting new products, promotions content, services, advice or information.
To support this ambition, we have a 100 per cent rebuild on the pain fixture in May, which will introduce a wider range of holistic pain management products at various price points. Through an exciting marketing campaign, we will be encouraging customers to have conversations with our pharmacists to help them with guidance on their pain management plan. To support the pharmacy team to be confident to advise on pain, a range of new training is available.
For pharmacy advisors and technicians, April's In Focus module, Holistic management of pain, is available now on Pharmacy School.
For pharmacists, Boots is funding some additional training on holistic pain management. There are three new core modules to work through, plus case studies to support your learning:
- Module 1 - What is pain?
- Module 2 - Understanding the experience of pain
- Module 3 - The management of pain
Completing these modules will take around 3.5 hours, and pharmacists will be paid for completing the training in their own time. Please ensure the training is completed and logged before 10 May; this will ensure that you receive the appropriate payments. Visit Pharmacy Unscripted to access the pharmacist training modules.
PREVENTING TYPE 2 DIABETES
According to Diabetes UK, there are 12.3 million people at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the UK.1 The good news is, for many people, there are steps they can take to reduce their risk.
There are several risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including lifestyle factors such as:
- Being overweight or obese
- Not exercising regularly
- Eating an unhealthy diet.
Pharmacists can advise customers on lifestyle interventions to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, which include restricting energy intake; reducing total and saturated fat intake; increasing fibre intake; and increasing physical activity. Where appropriate, people should aim for weight loss of at least five per cent to reduce their risk. Detailed nutrition guides are available on diabetes.org.uk.
It's not just lifestyle that can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Those in high-risk groups include: older people; people of South Asian and/or African-Caribbean descent; and people who have a close relative with type 2 diabetes. Encourage all high-risk customers to eat well and exercise regularly to look after their health.
Make sure your customers understand their risk of type 2 diabetes by taking the Boots and Diabetes UK online risk assessment at Boots.com/diabetesrisk. Also, ensure they are aware of the symptoms of diabetes; early diagnosis and treatment are important to help avoid future complications.
You can signpost customers to the diabetes hub for more information, relevant services, products and advice: Boots.com/diabetes-hub
Reference: 1. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/get_involved/diabetes-prevention-week
Last accessed April 2021.
RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021
There's still time to nominate your colleagues for Training Matters magazine's Recognition of Excellence Awards 2021!
In case you haven't already heard, the Recognition of Excellence Awards is back for 2021. This is the only national awards in the UK that celebrates the incredible work of community pharmacy support staff.
With entries still flooding in, and so many stories still to share, the deadline for entries has been extended until 1 June. Make sure you use this opportunity to celebrate excellence and nominate a colleague or even your whole team! Support staff can also enter themselves, so everyone can get involved.
There are 10 categories to choose from, including the Service Excellence Award, Rising Star Award and the new Pharmacy Team of the Year Award. You can nominate members of staff into as many categories as you like.
The awards will take place in the best and safest way possible this September - hopefully, with the usual all-expenses-paid awards ceremony in London for all finalists, plus fantastic prizes.
This has been such a difficult year for everyone in community pharmacy, so help your colleagues feel appreciated for all their hard work and nominate them today. To get nominating, visit: www.tmmagazine.co.uk/nominate2021
INTERVIEW - COVID-19 TESTERS
Testing the waters
Talking to Louise Wild, Mahek Dias, Natasha Afonso and Erjola Noka at Boots Piccadilly, London (store 1000), about stepping into a completely new role as COVID-19 testers.
How has life changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began?
We have gone from a very busy, fast-paced environment, with a huge customer turnover, to hardly seeing anyone in store during the first few weeks of the first national lockdown. Being in Piccadilly Circus, London, we are used to having lots of tourists in our store, so it was a strange adjustment. Things have slowly started picking up since; 2021 has been much better so far in terms of having more interaction with our customers and regulars.
What does a day in the life of a COVID-19 tester look like?
No day is ever the same! We meet new customers every day, of all ages. Some customers can feel nervous or anxious at the beginning, especially if it's their first test. It feels good to put them at ease and, at the end of the test, for them to say, "That wasn't as bad as I thought".
Every day is full of new challenges, which we overcome as a team, and we take pride in caring for our customers.
Every day is full of new challenges, which we overcome as a team
Did you undertake special training to become testers?
Yes - we had an expert come to store to train us all on PCR testing, antigen testing and the admin work that goes with it. We were trained on how to take an accurate test and how to make customers feel at ease, while keeping ourselves and our customers safe by making sure all COVID-19 precautions and measures (such as masks and PPE) are in place at all times.
Some nerves kicked in, especially with the first tests being performed, but you get used to it after a while and it seems so easy now.
What do you like about being a COVID-19 tester?
Helping people is the main thing we all really value and it's always fun to meet new people from all over the world. We feel pride and satisfaction in what we do, and we hope that shows through to our customers.
It's also great to be offering walk-in appointments; the relief for customers to be able to just walk in and be seen is a great feeling and our customers have mentioned this in our customer care survey.