Pharmacy Self Care Supports Adult Learners' Week, Australia

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 03 Sep 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Community pharmacies that are members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Pharmacy Self Care program are this week getting behind Adult Learners' Week through educational material and fact sheets available from the pharmacies.

Adult Learners' Week in Australia, which runs until 8 September, is part of an international festival of adult learning designed to highlight and promote the thousands of opportunities to learn as an adult. Acting President of the PSA, Grant Kardachi, said it was never too late for consumers to learn about their health and how to use their medicines properly and one of the most accessible places to begin this journey of learning was at their local pharmacy.

"Community pharmacists are highly trained and respected members of the health-care profession and their accessibility means that if you want to learn more about your health, you can walk in off the street for advice and literature which may help," Mr Kardachi said.

"The PSA has in place the Pharmacy Self Care program which boasts more than 1700 pharmacies as members. The program integrates a consumer health information component with the provision of a pharmacy staff program of evidence-based, peerreviewed education. It also has a strong focus on the quality use of medicines.

"What this means is that not only are the consumer able to learn more about their health through the advice, literature and Fact Cards provided by Pharmacy Self Care pharmacies, but the staff have extra training and resources to help them." Mr Kardachi said the pharmacists' role in self care involved helping consumers to learn more about, and take more active control of, their health by offering relevant and timely information, therapeutic advice, and effective products and medicines in the area of preventive health care, wellness maintenance, minor ailments and chronic disease.

"The program was launched across Australia some 22 years ago which makes it the most successful and longest-running professional support program in pharmacy in the country," Mr Kardachi said. "One of the foundations of the program is a wide-ranging series of more than 80 Fact Cards which help you and pharmacy staff learn more about certain aspects of your health and wellbeing, and how to use medicines properly.

"Adult Learners' Week is a great opportunity for consumers to come in and start learning more about their health and how they can manage it."

Source
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia

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