NPA Recommends Community Pharmacy As Distributors Of Vitamin Supplements, UK

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine;  Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 15 Aug 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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The NPA have made recommendations to NICE's Public Health Programme: "Guidance to improve the nutrition of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and children in low-income households". The NPA recommends that the programme includes community pharmacy role as a provider of Healthy Start vitamin supplements.

Community pharmacists are ideally placed to provide this service, as they already are offering public health advice about nutrition, supplying vitamins, supplements, baby care and infant nutrition products. Community pharmacies are visited frequently by both pregnant women and mothers of young children and the pharmacist is often consulted for advice. Often the community pharmacist is asked for advice about the use of OTC medicines when a woman is trying to conceive and this is an ideal opportunity to provide information about nutrition before conception.

Additionally community pharmacists are able to offer advice to women who are overweight or obese before they conceive. Some pharmacies also run weight management clinics.

Ruth Wakeman NPA Information Department Manager said: "Community pharmacies would be an ideal route for broadening provision of Healthy Start vitamin supplements with the role. The NPA along with other pharmacy bodies have already indicated to the department of health the need to discuss a distribution mechanism through community pharmacies for these products."

http://www.npa.co.uk

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