Pharmacy Self Care a Key to Preventive Health

The current health-care debate has highlighted the role of pharmacists as primary health-care providers and key to developing and implementing preventive health measures pivotal to the wellbeing of all Australians.

The Pharmaceutical Society Australia’s Pharmacy Self Care program has been a leader in both fields for more than 23 years and is continually revising and updating the program to meet current and developing needs.

As Australia’s most successful – and longest running – professional support program in Australia, the program provides the public with authentic, authoritative and unbiased health-care information to empower consumers to make the right health-care choices and to improve their overall health literacy.

PSC has a range of tools and resources to help consumers take control of their health and improve their wellbeing, including Fact Cards which are written in an easy-to-read consumer friendly way designed to improve health literacy and give consumers appropriate information on which to base their health decisions.

More than 85 of the most-frequently-asked-about health topics are covered by the program’s Fact Card health information system across 14 categories — each of which is designed to provide essential information for customers.

To ensure the program is kept up to date and relevant, staff at Self Care member pharmacies participate in regular ongoing training so they are best able to provide up-to-date and appropriate health information.

Self Care pharmacies also actively participate in regular health promotion activities which lift the profile of the pharmacy while providing topical information, advice and raising consumer awareness of current health issues.

One of the factors that makes the Self Care program stand above any others is that Self Care education is peer-reviewed and evidence-based, as well as being health condition focused rather than product specific.

With more than 1600 pharmacies participating, a Self Care member pharmacy is never too far away and locations can be found by logging on to the pharmacy finder under Pharmacy Self Care at www.psa.org.au