Planning is at an advanced stage for Ask Your Pharmacist Week (5-12th November) which will focus on encouraging men to take a more active interest in their medicines, and highlight the pharmacy support available to help men maintain good health.
Events planned across the country include:
- Thousands of National Pharmacy Association members will display ‘Two Small Steps for Man’ window posters, which encourage men to step inside the pharmacy and enquire about the NHS support available
- Exhibition stands at sporting events, including at Millennium Park for the Wales Vs Argentina rugby clash
- Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham LPC is working in collaboration with NHS South East London and Kings College London to hold awareness events at Lambeth Shopping Centre and St Guy’s and Thomas’ Hospital. The LPC is working with Kings College London department of Pharmacy, where 80 student volunteers are helping to promote medicines optimisation and demonstrating correct inhaler techniques at the events.
- Essex LPC will be inviting people on board the SOS health bus outside Colchester Town Hall, where they will be offered blood pressure checks and flu vaccines
- Norfolk LPC is planning health checks in workplaces and shopping centres
- Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire has organised an event each day of AYP Week including a talk at a Mosque, awareness events at Huddersfield University, the Shay Football Stadium Halifax and Leeds United Football Club and working with the NHS Men's Health team in Bradford pharmacies.
- Kevin Barron MP, chairman of the All Party Pharmacy Group in parliament, will visit a Weldricks Pharmacy in Rotherham
- Reena Barai of S G Barai Pharmacy in Surrey is working with a local car garage to promote health MOTs while people are waiting for their cars to have an MOT.
Speaking to NPA members via webinar this week, Pharmacy Minister Lord Howe said:
“Last year’s Ask Your Pharmacist initiative was tremendously successful in encouraging people to take more interest in their medicine and making sure that people know about the extensive range of services available at their local pharmacy. I’m sure that this year will build on that good work and target a particularly hard to reach group - men. Getting men to engage with health professionals is notoriously difficult and I’m delighted that the NPA is highlighting this tricky issue.”
