Published in The West Australian - Your Health Checks
As the past 18 months of living with the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us, taking care of our health is vitally important.
Community pharmacists are uniquely placed to provide convenient access to support.
While COVID-19 outbreaks and lockdowns have been unsettling for everyone, Pharmacy 777 pharmacists are always on hand to support the community with essential health services and preventative health measures.
“With over 60 locations across the state including metro, regional north-west and south-west communities, the Pharmacy 777 Group provides a wide range of health services including medication management, vaccinations and health checks to identify health risks and improve health outcomes for patients.
Collaboration with and the patient’s supporting health care professionals is key,” said Pharmacy 777 Managing Director Kim Brotherson.
“A patient that enters a Doctor’s surgery is still a patient when they enter a community pharmacy. Supporting that patient to ensure the medication dispensed is delivering the desired results is a key responsibility all community pharmacists have.”
An often poorly understood issue is medication management. For example, a Pharmaceutical Society of Australia report finds that 250,000 hospital admissions annually are a result of medication-related problems and as many as 400,000 emergency department visits are thought to be due to medication-related problems.
Pharmacists can help patients understand what medications they are taking and why, and ensure every patient has a plan to manage their medications and ongoing recovery.
“Continuity of care after hospital discharge is crucial to prevent readmission and poor patient outcomes,” said Kathryn Nankivell, Pharmacy 777 pharmacist. “Community pharmacists are ideally placed to support patients with solutions such as dose administration aids and home delivery services.”
Another vital service community pharmacists offer is vaccination.
Minister for Health Roger Cook said, “Amid the focus on COVID-19, people are reminded influenza can also cause serious respiratory illness and that immunisation provides the best protection for all ages.
“We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the Department of Health to roll out these initiatives to reach more people,” Mr Brotherson said.
Already, Pharmacy 777 has provided more than 69,000 influenza vaccinations this year. In a time of such uncertainty, immunising against influenza lowers a key risk factor in our communities.”
“In addition, our pharmacists are committed to supporting the COVID-19 immunisation roll out. We are an approved COVID-19 vaccination provider in select regional areas, and we expect more regional locations and even metropolitan pharmacies to follow upon further advice from the Department of Health,” Mr Brotherson said.
Pharmacy 777 pharmacists also provide a 20-minute Health Check service to the community.
Pharmacy 777 pharmacist Kristian Ray explains, “Your pharmacist goes through health questions, including family history, health history, and lifestyle, such as diet, exercise and alcohol consumption. Your pharmacist will also measure your blood pressure, height, weight, and waist circumference.
Patients receive instant results at the end of the appointment and an assessment of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease over the next 5 years.
We work with your GP for continuity of care and optimal health outcomes,” Mr Ray said.
Committed to a collaborative approach with all health care professionals, Pharmacy 777 pharmacists can help patients navigate their health and medication concerns and provide essential support for their local communities.
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