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4 EDITOR’S LETTER EDITOR’S LETTER F or those of you who may not know, prior to my role as editor of Retail Pharmacy Assistants magazine (and before I decided to make a career change to follow my passion for journalism) I was a practising dietitian. While I worked in a number of clinical and sports settings during my time as a dietitian, one of my first roles was working as a ‘cardiac coach’. This was a secondary prevention program that involved working with patients who had presented to hospital following a heart event to help them manage their lifestyle factors and, together with their GP and community pharmacist, ensure medication adherence post discharge, to ultimately prevent hospital readmission. I’ve got many fond memories of my time as a dietitian, especially my time working as a ‘cardiac coach’, and these memories resurfaced when working on the April issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants magazine. With heart disease being one of Australia’s biggest killers, a focus on heart health and the associated medical conditions is important. Speaking with the incredibly passionate Professor Karen-leigh Edward, Acting CEO of Her Heart, it was eye-opening to learn that a person in Australia dies from heart disease every 28 minutes, but not only that, we lose one woman to heart disease per hour. Professor Edward points out that while many women know about heart disease, many aren’t aware that heart disease is a significant issue for women. As the frontline of healthcare, pharmacy assistants have the potential to make a real difference in the lives of their customers, particularly women customers, by opening up the conservation about heart health and the importance of regular heart health checks (from page 14). This takes me now to another health issue that is dear to my heart – body image. This month I had the privilege of speaking with the inspiring Taryn Brumfitt, Australian writer and film director, who directed the popular documentary, Embrace. As someone who has dealt with a lot of body image issues over the years, I had goosebumps speaking with Ms Brumfitt and learning about her mission to eradicate the body dissatisfaction epidemic and to turn things around so that we can all learn to shift the way we think about ourselves and about how we look. “The fundamental message is that your body isn’t an ornament. It’s a vehicle to your dreams,” Ms Brumfitt said. Let that sink in for a minute. You are more than your body. You are more than how you look. Don’t let issues with body image stop you from doing what you were put on this earth to do – making a real difference in someone’s life. Head to page 24 to read the Exclusive Feature. While the focus this month has been on heart health, we also learn about the metabolic syndrome (from page 44), anaemia (from page 48), how skin changes can indicate heart health issues (from page 72) and learn about allergies to mould (from page 42), which is especially poignant given the recent rain in NSW and Queensland. The issue is filled with quality content to help you become the best pharmacy assistants you can be, so that you can ultimately help those who walk through your pharmacy’s doors. While I love all of our issues, this issue is one that is close to my heart and I hope that you are able to gain some new insights and enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. As always, if there’s something that you’d like to see within the pages of the magazine or on the website or in our e-newsletters, please don’t hesitate to reach out – I’m only an e-mail away. Margs Margaret Mielczarek Editor RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • APR 2021 MANAGING DIRECTOR Amy Harvey EDITOR Margaret Mielczarek margaret.mielczarek@retailmedia.com.au PRODUCTION All material inquiries: production@retailmedia.com.au Journalists: Emily Devon, Nicholas Rider, Peter Howard Graphic Designers: Peter Gilmour, Kathleen Barker, Ricky Esteb, Kirsty Young Sub Editor: Roy Milton SUBSCRIPTIONS 02 9890 1199 subscriptions@retailmedia.com.au ADVERTISING Victorian State Manager Tina Cooper M: 0499 681 111 tina.cooper@retailmedia.com.au Senior Account Manager Heather McWhirter M:0432 665 587 heather.mcwhirter@retailmedia.com.au Senior Account Manager Sonia Bonner M: 0432 276 390 sonia.bonner@retailmedia.com.au VOLUME 3, No 3 POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 2231, North Parramatta NSW 1750 www.retailmedia.com.au. DISCLAIMER: Retail Media Pty Ltd is a specialist retail publisher and publisher of Retail Pharmacy Assistants magazine. 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