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19 Dec 07

Maintaining a healthy immune system

Your immune system is the body’s natural defence against viruses and bacteria. When you are sick, it also fights infection, helping you to get better. If your immune system is weak and you are susceptible to coughs, colds and other illnesses, you may need to think seriously about giving your immune system a well-deserved boost.

• Change your diet. We all need a balanced diet containing vitamins and minerals; plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables; and wholegrain foods. Bin the fast food and get fresh! If you have a busy lifestyle and eat on the go, you could supplement your diet by taking a Multi-Vitamin & Mineral tablet. This will help to make sure the body receives all that is necessary to maintain optimum health. Alternatively you could try taking Numark Echinacea tablets along with Numark Vitamin C tablets to give your immune system a boost during the winter months when viruses are more abundant.

• Rather than have caffeinated drinks such as tea, coffee and cola, try water, herbal teas and unsweetened fruit juice, which is full of vitamin C, an excellent support to the immune system.

• If you smoke, consider cutting down or quitting completely. Smoking damages your immune system and can make you more prone to cancer and heart disease. Rowlands Pharmacy currently offers a range of Nicotine Replacement Therapy products.

• Increase your exercise output. Not only will the risk of getting long-term medical conditions such as heart disease and osteoporosis decrease, exercising for 30 minutes, five times each week will improve your circulation and build up the body’s own defences.

• Try to get between 7-8 hours sleep each night. The body repairs its defences during the sleeping period so you are more prepared to fight infections. If you are struggling to settle to sleep, try a warm milky drink before bedtime and try not to get out of a routine. Nytol herbal tablets can help with short-term sleeping problems, but are not intended for long-term use.

• Try to relax more. Stress makes the heart rate increase and lowers your immune system. Exercise will help lower your stress rates, and plenty of fresh air.

• Avoid recreational drugs which can damage the immune system. Even a reliance on certain types of medication can have an impact on your immunity so only take medicines when you really need to.

16 Jul 09

Swine Flu Outbreak

For the latest information on the outbreak of swine flu, please see the following websites:

NHS choices - For patient information on the causes, symptoms and treatments of swine flu.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pandemic-flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Department of Health - For latest updates from the government and guidance from the Chief Medical Officer.

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Home

Information on the distribution of antivirals

Please note, not all pharmacies stock antiviral products. If you need to obtain Tamiflu or Relenza, your local pharmacy may be able to help you or refer you to a pharmacy that stocks it. Alternatively, you should contact your local Primary Care organisation.

04 Jun 08

Electronic Prescription Service Update

Electronic Prescription Service

The Electronic Prescription Service has been introduced by the NHS in an effort to move towards a more efficient and accurate electronic prescription service that is better able to cope with the continuing increase in prescription volumes.

Currently, around 1.5million paper prescriptions are issued every working day in England. This figure is expected to rise by approximately 5% each year. In particular, around 70% of prescriptions are for repeat medication. This new service has been designed to reduce the paper administration associated with current prescribing and dispensing processes by enabling prescriptions to be generated, transmitted and received electronically.

The service is being implemented in 2 phases. Release 1 introduced the technical infrastructure to enable prescribers and dispensers to interact with the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). Release 2 will provide additional features which should result in real benefits for patients, prescribers, dispensers and their staff.

During Release 1 you may have noticed a barcode appear on your prescription. This is there to help the pharmacist dispense the items on your prescription more easily. This first stage has been designed to make sure that everything works efficiently before introducing the full service.

Over the next few months each GP surgery and pharmacy will move to the second stage of the service. The main feature for the patient in this phase is the ability to ‘nominate’ or choose a dispensing contractor i.e. pharmacy or appliance contractor, to which their prescriptions can be sent automatically, via the Electronic Prescription Service. In other words, you will be able to ask your GP to send your prescription to a pharmacy of your choice electronically, so you won’t need a paper prescription at all – unless you want to have one.

Nomination is similar to existing prescription collection and delivery services offered by pharmacies as it removes the need for patients to call at their GP surgery to collect a paper prescription. In future, you will be able to go straight to the pharmacy to pick up your medicines.

Release 2 of the Electronic Prescription Service will be rolling out across England from Spring/Summer 2008 so it may be a while before you see any changes in your area.

We will keep you informed of any developments to the service both in branch and on the website.

16 Apr 08

Cough & Cold Guidelines for Children's Medicines

Treatment of Coughs and Colds in Children under the Age of Two Years.

The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recently decided to review the sale and supply of cough and cold products to children under the age of two.

As a UK Registered Pharmacy, Rowlands Pharmacy seeks to inform the public and particularly those who care for children under the age of two of the new guidelines and what implications they have.

The MHRA is recommending that children under the age of two are no longer given any cough or cold medications which contain any of the following ingredients:

brompheniramine

chlorphenamine

dextrometorphan

diphenydramine

ephedrine

guifenesin

ipecacuanha

oxymetazoline

phenylephrine

pholcodine

pseudoephedrine

xylometazoline

You should check any cough or cold medicines which you already hold for these ingredients before giving them to any child under the age of two.

The MHRA came to its decision to restrict these products after a thorough review of the evidence on both their safety and efficacy. Safety concerns were linked to reported adverse effects and overdoses, particularly in the under twos due to their sensitivity to overdose in relation to their size and weight and the inability of their immature systems to metabolise the active ingredients safely.

If an under-two is suffering with a cold, the MHRA recommends that paracetamol or ibuprofen is given to reduce fevers and to relieve pain.

Simple non-pharmacological cough mixtures such as those containing glycerol or honey and lemon can still be given and vapour rubs and inhalant decongestants may still be applied to children’s clothing to provide relief from a stuffy or blocked nose. Saline (Sodium Chloride 0.9%) nose drops may be helpful for infants who are having difficulty in feeding.

For children over two years, cough and cold medicines are considered safe at the recommended doses which need to be followed carefully and not exceeded. Parents and carers should be advised not to give any child more than one cough and cold medicine because different brands may contain the same active ingredient(s) and lead to accidental overdose.

Please take care to check your medicine cabinets for these medicines and follow these recommendations. If you have any concerns about the medicines you already have, please do not hesitate to contact your local Rowlands Pharmacy or write to us ‘here’. We will be happy to assist you with any of your queries.

06 Nov 07

Spotlight on Alopecia

Alopecia is the medical term to describe hair loss and baldness. Research carried out by Regaine claims that 95% of hair thinning and loss in men and women is due to hereditary factors. However, certain other types of hair loss experienced by women can be differentiated into several common categories.

Female hair loss is normally temporary and occurs evenly across the scalp. Factors which contribute to temporary hair loss can include stress, illness, age, eating disorders, hormonal changes, drug misuse and poor diet.

The most common types of female hair loss are Telogen Effluvium, Androgenetic Alopecia, and Alopecia Areata.

Telogen Effluvium

Telogen Effluvium occurs when the replacement of old hair with new slows down creating thinness, and letting the scalp show through. It is a gradual condition taking place over time and there are rarely definite bald patches. It is usually due to a reaction to medication or extreme emotional or physical stress. In most cases, the condition rectifies itself within six months.

Androgenetic Alopecia

Androgenetic Alopecia, or female pattern baldness is most generally associated with hormonal changes in the body such as can occur during pregnancy or when the contraceptive pill is either started or stopped. However, it occurs most commonly in women going through the menopause. This type of alopecia is linked to a chemical in the body called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) made by the male hormone testosterone and present in men and women. If there is too much DHT in the body, hair follicles can start to shrink so that hair becomes thinner and eventually falls out completely. Androgenetic alopecia will induce a general thinning of hair, with loss around the top and sides of the head.

Alopecia areata

Alopecia areata affects 1% of the population, mainly young adults and teenagers. The condition appears to be hereditary and its cause is linked to problems with the immune system. There is no permanent damage to the hair follicles but hair production can significantly reduce. In most cases, hair grows back after about a year without the need for treatment.

In a recent survey by Nourkrin, over 50% of people interviewed indicated that their treatment preference would be a hair thickening product containing Minoxidil. Minoxidil works by increasing the flow of blood to the scalp and hair follicles thus strengthening the existing follicles and stimulating secondary growth. The treatment must be carried out for a minimum of four months to see any improvement.

Rowlands Pharmacy carries a range of hair loss products containing Minoxidil from Regaine. If you are starting to experience hair loss and you are taking any other medicine or being treated for any condition, you are under 18 or over 65 years of age, you have an itchy, red, inflamed infected or painful scalp or have sudden or patchy hair loss, consult your GP.

20 Aug 07

Melanoma on the rise

Most skin cancers are preventable, with around 80% of melanomas being caused by exposure to sunlight. It is well established that UV radiation from the sun and from artificial sources, such as sun-beds and tanning lamps, can cause forms of skin cancer.

There are two different types of rays that come from the sun

UVB rays burn the topmost layer of skin, causing sunburn and cell damage that can lead to cancerous changes.

UVA rays don't burn, but penetrate deep into the skin. They are responsible for cell damage that contributes to ageing and skin cancer.
A sun lotion that protects against both ultraviolet type B (UVB) radiation and ultraviolet type A (UVA) radiation offers the best protection, like the Nivea products we have on offer at the moment. These creams are called 'broad spectrum' sunscreens.

Always remember young skin is delicate

Damage prevention begins in childhood. Young skin is easily damaged by the sun, you must be especially careful with babies under the age of six months who must be kept out of the sun completely. At least a SPF 25 or a full sun block must be used on all exposed areas of a child’s skin- and as with adults, sun cream must not be relied on alone to protect the skin. Aim to cover up as much as possible, especially at peak times by using sun umbrellas, hats with wide brims, sun glasses, light weight and loose fitting clothing to help protect as much exposed skin as possible. Cream must be applied liberally and always follow the indications for re applying cream.

You should ideally renew your sun lotion each year

Sun care creams do not carry a use by date as they have a long shelf life but over time both heat and bacteria can damage sun screens, so you should replace your lotion each year. Always store your sun screen in a cool dry place when not in use. Never use sun screens lower than a factor 15, regardless of how well you believe your skin can cope with the heat from the sun or tan.

Consult your doctor if:

An existing mole or dark patch is getting larger or a new one starts to grow
A mole has a ragged outline
A mole has a mixture of different shades of brown and black
An inflamed mole or one with a reddish edge
A bleeding or oozing mole
A mole forming crustations
A change in sensation of a mole, such as a mild itch
A mole that is bigger than all the other moles

Any of these signs do not necessarily mean that a melanoma has developed; these are purely precautionary checks that people should look out for. If a mole does not return to normal within 10 days seek advice from your doctor.

14 Aug 07

Hepatitis C

NHS launch campaign to find people that may have inadvertently contracted hepatitis C. It is estimated that up to 250,000 people could have hepatitis C but are unaware that they have the disease, visit www.hepc.nhs.uk to see if you are at risk.

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