Obesity in-store audit call
October 27, 2015
Former Pharmacy Guild national
president Kos Sclavos believes
there is a significant opportunity for
pharmacies to play a leading role in
addressing the “growing epidemic”
of obesity in Australia.
Sclavos, who’s now APP chairman
and vice president of the Qld Guild,
told pharmacists can also be
part of managing perceptions
around the condition, in the light
of a new expert panel obesity
statement which urges a change in
the public portrayal of obesity.
Obesity is now being described
as a complex and multifactorial
medical condition with
environmental, psychological and
physiological aetiological factors
according to the statement issued
after the Australian and New
Zealand Obesity Society (ANZOS)
Scientific Meeting last week.
Sclavos gave the example of the
well-evolved approach to mental
health where depression has
lost much of its stigma and guilt
associations, becoming a more
readily discussed and empathised
topic with accessible resources.
There are many resources within
the Guild and the Pharmaceutical
Society training modules for
pharmacists and their staff to
develop their expertise around
obesity he said, but it needs to
start with an assessment of each
individual pharmacy’s needs.
In-store signage, for example,
can direct people to interrupt the
pharmacist for a discussion, Sclavos
said, so that the conversation
doesn’t just stop at the product
level, such as diet shakes and other
weight loss products.
As well as in-pharmacy language
and imagery management, the
pharmaceutical industry needs to
get on board with more empathetic
respectful communication
approaches, Sclavos added.
He said as the most accessible
health profession, pharmacists can
be key to helping mitigate the many
elements and comorbidities of
obesity, helping individuals through
their life journey.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 27 Oct 15To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 27 Oct 15
