Page 27 - RPA May 2020

By Brianne Lowe, 2019 Pharmacy DGuild of Australia/Maxigesic Pharmacy Assistant of the Year.
id you know that on average, 2800 people die from influenza and or pneumonia every year
in Australia?
I was astonished to learn this stat during
my research for this article, considering the flu vaccination is readily accessible in this country and offered free to those considered high risk. After the recent COVID-19 outbreak, you would have already encountered concerned people seeking guidance and advice about protecting themselves and their loved ones from contracting the virus.
Consequently, I believe we’re heading into what will be a busy time in pharmacy for flu vaccinations and other forms of protection.
While conversations around any vaccinations can be tricky to navigate, I always find it best to stick to the facts.
Who should get a flu shot?
Essentially, everyone who is eligible should receive a flu vaccination. However, some people are deemed high risk and should receive a vaccination as a necessity.
This includes:
• People over the age of 55.
• Aboriginal people and Torres
Strait Islanders.
• Pregnant women.
• Anyone with a serious health
condition, such as severe asthma, diabetes, chronic heart and kidney disease and other chronic conditions.
Most of these will receive a flu vaccination via their GP, but people in several other categories should also consider getting a flu vaccination and may be able to receive one in their local pharmacy.
Self-care tips for your customers
Keeping to a prevention strategy, it’s a good idea to engage your customers with self-care tips to help prevent them from contracting and spreading a nasty virus.
These tips should include:
• Regular hand washing with warm
soapy water before eating or touching
the face.
• Cleaning surfaces, including work
benches, mobile phones, keyboards,
door handles and railings.
• Sneezing and coughing into tissues
and discarding them immediately.
• If they do become unwell, isolating themselves from others to stop the
spread should be recommended. • Taking clinically proven immune
boosting therapies.
Flu myths and fallacies
While so many in the community
have been rushing out to buy surgical masks and hand sanitiser, when it comes to receiving a vaccination as a preventative measure, plenty of people are finding an excuse to avoid it.
Some flu shot myths include:
• You can get the flu from the flu
shot. False! Tiredness, pain, fever and muscle aches after receiving a vaccination are reported by some people, but this is simply the vaccine triggering an immune response, which lasts only a day or two.
PATY 2019 WINNER 25
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This group includes:
Family members welcoming a newborn baby.
Workers in aged care and childcare facilities.
Anyone who works in the healthcare industry.
• You can catch the flu from being cold, so it’s best to stay indoors. False! Although the flu season coincides with winter, the condition is not caused by the weather. The only way to catch the flu virus is to be in contact with it, which is more likely if you are spending the cooler months inside, close to others.
• Fit and healthy people don’t need to be vaccinated. I never get sick. False! Viruses don’t discriminate. Even the healthiest of people can contract flu. We also rely on herd immunity to protect those around us who are more vulnerable.
Be proactive this flu season
If your pharmacy is to be administering the vaccine, you should begin thinking about how you will be marketing it
to customers.
Be proactive and send out an email, post on your social media pages, and even contact customers via SMS to let them know they can book in now and be contacted when the vaccine arrives.
Consider contacting your local childcare centres, schools and aged care facilities, as it will be important that their staff are vaccinated to protect those around them who may be
more vulnerable.
Finally, are you planning to have a flu vaccination?
In pharmacy we come into contact with some of the most vulnerable members of our community and some of the nastiest viruses, too. We should also be taking preventive measures to protect not only ourselves, but also those around us and our loved ones.
“Are you planning to
have a flu vaccination?
In pharmacy we come into
contact with some of the
most vulnerable members
of our community and some
of the nastiest viruses.”
RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • MAR 2020