Pharmacy Daily | Crucial self-care role for pharmacists

COMMUNITY pharmacists have a key role to play in helping patients to take better care of themselves, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia National President, Associate Professor Chris Freeman, believes.

Marking International Self-Care Day on Sat 24 Jul, Freeman said it was an opportunity for pharmacists to raise awareness of healthy lifestyle programs and practices that encourage consumers to be more conscious of their wellbeing.

"In everyday practice, pharmacists are passing on their extensive knowledge and expertise to consumers, helping them to better understand and manage their health," he said.

"Medicines are our most common health care intervention and consumers place a high degree of trust in the advice that pharmacists provide on a daily basis -- empowering them not only to use medicines safely, but also educating them on the raft of non-medicine, lifestyle and self-care approaches to better health," Freeman said.

"Self-care is an approach that activates consumer engagement in health care, helping consumers to understand what keeps them healthy -- ultimately allowing them to take informed action to avoid preventable poor health.

"If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it is the importance of improving health literacy amongst the Australian population, by encouraging individuals to take greater responsibility for the management of their physical and mental wellbeing.

"PSA has been supporting Australian pharmacists for decades through the provision of evidence-based, consumer focused self-care fact cards. These fact cards continue to evolve to meet the emerging needs of consumers and now include a digital format -- so that up-to-date, evidence-based self-care advice is readily available from Australian pharmacists all over the country."

Freeman also voiced the PSA's support for the Australian Self-Care Alliance's Self-Care Policy Blueprint, which promotes self-care as a core element of a sustainable National Health and Care Policy for Australia.