Slowly, the stigma around women’s health is dissolving, with females globally expecting better services and to be heard by their workplaces, families, friends and societies when they say they need better assistance when experiencing symptoms of PMS and menopause.
To help cater for these new expectations, health providers need to adapt to the needs of the modern woman and be ready to provide suitable services and products that can aid women in their everyday lives.
Retail pharmacy is in pole position to deliver on this.
Science and Education Manager at integrative medicines brand SFI Health – Home of Flordis Simone Barrance says women are no longer treating their own health and natural processes as something to be ashamed of.
“[They’re] expecting accommodations in the workplace,” she said. “For example, in the UK, employment tribunals that reference menopause, have doubled since 2018.
“However, this is still a young transition, and only 36 per cent of women feel confident and/or prepared about menopause [according to the New York-based Female Founders Fund] and a 2021 study in Australia found menopausal women in healthcare are still feeling guilty about perceived underperformance during menopause.”
Pharmacy assistant and Pharmacy Alliance spokesperson Brianne Shephard says the pharmacy group is increasingly seeing more women seeking advice about health, given the difficulty of access to GPs in recent times.
“While we’ve seen increased demand for family planning support over the past two or three years, estimates from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicate that around 4.9 per cent of all women who gave birth in Australia in 2019 received some form of assistive reproductive treatment including IVF,” she said.
“Furthermore, 77 per cent of women [surveyed] say they’ve experienced period pain that has affected their ability to work, and we know all women will face menopause – however, 75 per cent suffer from severe hot flushes and other symptoms.”
Ms Shephard points to the amount of work that is still needed to address such concerns.
“[As many as] three in four of the female population are suffering either from PMS or menopause, but is this reflective of the women presenting in pharmacy?” she asked.
“We clearly have more work to do in the women’s health space.”
How pharmacy products can help
Retail pharmacy is increasingly the first location where women are seeking guidance and advice about their health.
When supporting women who need support for their symptoms it is critical pharmacy understand these conditions, can provide guidance, and support and offer first-line treatment options that are clinically proven to help relieve women’s symptoms during PMS or menopause.
SFI Health is the home of Flordis, a range of standardised herbal extracts including a range of leading women’s health products, clinically proven to support symptoms of PMS and menopause.
For more information and to view the full user’s guide, visit: flordis.com.au/products/femular/#usage
Keep in mind
When having discussions with women in the pharmacy setting about their health needs, it’s important to check whether they have also spoken with their pharmacist or other healthcare professional before proceeding with any treatment.
This is particularly important to ensure their symptoms aren’t a case of something more sinister.
“We must remember that these conditions and many more may adversely affect the way women live their lives every day,” Ms Shephard said.
“Usually, they approach us after months of uncomfortable symptoms, desperately seeking relief and compassion, and we’re privileged that they trust their local pharmacy to seek support.”
This feature was originally published in the September issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine. To read it in full as it appears in the magazine, visit: rpassistants.com.au/retail-pharmacy-assistants-september-2022
