Over the years I have been trying to get out into the community to engage in the community’s health and well-being. As a pharmacist, I feel its my duty to help others get to their optimum health. I have always taken opportunities to do this through general advice, handing out prescriptions, telephone conversations and one to one health services.
It’s only been over the last couple of years that I have been involved with collaborative work with local health care professionals, healthy living centres and public health. Together we have now jointly hosted over eight events. All of which have been successful in their own way. We have had two very successful events; Diabetes Awareness and Heart Health Event. Just in these two events we engaged with over 900 people. 100 NHS Health Checks were performed, 300 at risk people were screened for type 2 diabetes, 150 had weight management advice and the rest were given health and well-being advice. These numbers can only be reached by engaging with the public and reaching out.
As a pharmacist, I have self funded these events for the good of the community I serve. However, not all pharmacists have the time, resources or event organising skills to start this. My aim is to get the pharmacy world engaging with their community.
I am voicing out to Public Health to support this aim. Allow dearPHARMACIST to take on the role of commissioned events to deliver nationally in collaboration with healthcare providers within each community. There is no better form of engagement than working within the heart of the community.
