Heat-Health Alert raised to level 3 – updated NPA heatwave guidance available

17th June 2022

In this Spotlight:

The Met Office has raised the Heat-Health Watch Alert level to level 3, between midnight on Friday 17 June and midnight on Sunday 19 June.When the Met Office raises a Level 3 alert, it means that threshold temperatures for one or more regions have been reached for one day and the following night, and there is more than a 90 per cent chance that the threshold temperature will be met for the next day.

Excessive heat can be harmful to people and medicines. The NPA “Heatwave: guidance”, applicable to all home countries, is now available to help:

• Ensure appropriate procedures are in place to minimise medicines exposure to excessive heat
• Advise you and your pharmacy teams on which people are classed as ‘at risk’ of heat-related illnesses
• Advise members of the public to prepare and cope with a heatwave
• Advise members of the public on the effects of heat on health
• Pharmacy teams deal with patients with suspected heatstroke
• Identify medicines capable of increasing the risk of heatstroke in certain susceptible people
• Pharmacy teams understand the Heat-Health Watch system (England only)

Further reading:

• Met Office Heat-Health Alert: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/heat-health/?tab=heatHealth&season=normal#?tab=heatHealth
• NHS “Heatwave: how to cope in hot weather”: https://www.nhs.uk/Live-well/seasonal-health/heatwave-how-to-cope-in-hot-weather/

Please contact the Pharmacy Advice and Support team for further support:

• Telephone: 01727891800 (Mon-Fri 9am to 6pm, Sat 9am to 1pm)
• Email: pharmacyservices@npa.co.uk