Page 14 - RetailPharmacyAssistants-March2021-Updated

12 AWARENESS SPOTLIGHT FROM PAGE 11 So, there’s a lot of different things. There are pain specialists, if pain is your issue. For some people pain isn’t the thing. Some people have really severe disease and no pain at all. It’s only fertility issues that lead them to be diagnosed. So that might be their symptom. I think it’s best to gather your team. I know for myself, I use a variety of things. I might use osteopaths, I might use acupuncturists, I might use physiotherapists. You build your own team around you that you call on to use per symptom. So, if I’ve got something that will need medication, then I seek advice from my doctor or my pharmacist. You sort of pull in your experts to treat those symptoms. It’s a multidisciplinary approach. That’s what works the most, for most patients. There’s no one thing that’s the standalone silver lining for this incurable, non-preventable disease. How has Covid-19 affected normal operations at Endometriosis Australia? \\\\\\\[The biggest thing is that due to Covid-19\\\\\\\] we’re working from home. I think we’re one of many businesses around the country that are working from home. We’ve built in some great infrastructure projects, which have all just come to fruition. We’ve got a huge range of campaigns rolling out from March \\\\\\\[2021\\\\\\\] and that’s including a lot of education. We’re looking forward to sharing that with everybody. For us, operationally, I think, like most businesses financially, it was a different year. We had all our peer-to- peer fundraisers, all those fun runs, and all those kinds of things \\\\\\\[cancelled due to Covid-19\\\\\\\]. So, we’ve had to reinvent ourselves online and, like most businesses (and I’ll use that overused word for 2020: pivot), we’ve had to pivot because all our March events in 2020 were cancelled two weeks before they were about to happen. So, we had to pivot very quickly. We, like most businesses, have been adapting to this new Covid world. Tell us about some of the campaigns rolling out in March. ‘March into Yellow’ is such a fun campaign. It’s where you wear yellow for the month of March. You pledge to wear yellow, and you get people to sponsor you to make it through the end of the month. So, you could have yellow nail polish, yellow bracelets, yellow clothing, yellow shoes – I’ve got some really great yellow joggers. We encourage people to sign up – head to our website, sign up and be sponsored. It’s just like being sponsored to run a marathon, except it’s way cooler, because you get to wear the fun bright colour, yellow. In March we normally host High Teas around the country but due to Covid, with border \\\\\\\[issues\\\\\\\] and different regulations all around the country, this year we’re going to be hosting the Endometriosis Australia Symposium. This will be happening on Saturday 27 March 2021, and will be open to everybody, internationally and nationally. How can pharmacy assistants get involved and support these campaigns and get involved with the organisation? They can share on their social media pages within their pharmacies, about endometriosis. We have some really great webinars on our YouTube channel, and information pieces \\\\\\\[on our website\\\\\\\]. We’ve got blogs coming out. We have this fabulous campaign, ‘Endo Enlightened’, where we’re lighting up assets all around the country in yellow to raise awareness for endometriosis. This is happening at different times around the country, and we have an interactive map on our website, to indicate which towns \\\\\\\[are participating\\\\\\\]. As part of this, you’ve got to use the hashtag, ‘#IamEndoEnlightened’ or ‘#WeareEndoEnlightened’ and get out and take photos of what is happening locally. Shops can light up as well. Pharmacies are more than welcome to light up yellow and be ‘Endo Enlightened’. What is the thought behind the colour yellow? Well, yellow is the international colour for endometriosis. Our logo is a wattle. So, it’s about the wattle. We use yellow and grey – grey is the strong sturdy stem, but the wattle flowers are actually quite delicate. So, it’s the strength that ‘endo warriors’ have, but also, the fragility plays into it. We love the yellow because it’s also gender neutral, so everyone can get involved. We’ve also got ‘mendo champions’, as well as ‘endo champions’, and we’ve got ‘endo warriors’, so everyone can get involved. It’s not just a woman’s issue, because it does affect families and those who identify as gender diverse. It’s a community issue. What is your advice to pharmacy assistants supporting customers who are suffering from endometriosis? I think the most important thing is treating them with respect. I know that that sounds really simple, and I know that they probably do that to all of their customers who come in. \\\\\\\[In the past, women with endometriosis\\\\\\\] have been ignored – they seem to be minimised, told to harden up and that they must just be imagining it \\\\\\\[their symptoms\\\\\\\]. So, I think it’s about believing, supporting and understanding that over- the-counter medications don’t always work for all people, and that maybe they know people in the neighbourhood or within their system that they can engage with to support these patients – like saying, ‘Well, this local GP is very ‘endo-friendly’. I think it’s just believing them. Don’t dismiss them as being drug seekers. Don’t dismiss them as not being hard enough or strong enough, because they are. That’s why they’re warriors. They are strong. RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • MAR 2021 For more information about Endometriosis Australia and the awareness campaigns, and to learn about how you can get involved, visit: endometriosisaustralia.org and marchintoyellow.org.au.