A rose-tinted world

Despite the rain, the world is looking a little brighter from my side today.

I've got new specs and they are pink!
My two small children like pulling my glasses off my face and so I tend to have wonky glasses, buckled and bent. It was time for a new pair, but I resent paying hundreds of pounds for new glasses at my opticians. 

The best bit of all though is that I got my glasses at Barnton Pharmacy and they were only £57!!!

We have teamed up with PharmaOptical to offer you prescription glasses and sunglasses at a fraction of the prices you can pay at your own optician.

Our prices are REALLY competitive and offer you the choice to get a spare pair, a set of glasses to go with an outfit for a special occasion,  a replacement for the specs you lost, a new pair of prescription shades for you holidays or just a treat because you are worth it!

It is really simple:

• Bring in you current glasses prescription. Your prescription needs to be dated within the last two years. Your optician has to give you a copy of your prescription after your eye test.
• Choose your frames from our range of contemporary and classic designs in four price bands.
• Decide what sort of lens you need. We will take a quick measurement for the glasses.
• We process your order. Your new glasses will be delivered back to Barnton Pharmacy in 2-3 days.
• We can make any minor adjustments for you here as well.

World Malaria Day

Malaria is horrible.  It kills people.
In 2005 I was lucky enough to attend a conference for pharmacy students in Ghana. One of my friends did not make it home alive to his native Macedonia. He contracted malaria and died. He was not able to purchase the recommended antimalarial tablets in his home country. I spent my last day in Ghana with him. His death was preventable. 

All malaria deaths are preventable.

World Malaria Day takes place this Friday, 25th April 2014. Through this campaign the World Health Organisation aims to eliminate malaria world wide. This is a big task and has come a long way in the past decade but we are not there yet. Malaria still kills an estimated 627 000 people every year, mainly children under 5 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2013, 97 countries had on-going malaria transmission.

Every year, more than 200 million cases occur; most of these cases are never tested or registered. Emerging drug and insecticide resistance threaten to reverse recent gains.

In 2013 there were 59 reported cases of malaria in Scotland, brought back from travellers to areas where malaria is present.

Although these numbers are not great they should act as a reminder to us all to get the right advice on malaria before you go.

Advice for travellers

There is no vaccine available to prevent malaria. However, there are antimalarial tablets which can provide protection. .

All travellers to malarious areas should follow the ABCD of malaria prevention:

• Awareness of risk – know the malaria risk for the country you’re visiting.

• Mosquito Bite prevention – take practical measures to avoid mosquito bites, including bed nets, repellent and insecticide.

• Chemoprophylaxis – take country-specific anti-malarial tablets.

• Diagnosis and treatment - know the signs and symptoms of malaria and the importance of prompt treatment.

Further advice is available on the fitfortravel website - which is a great online resource if you are heading off travelling.  Remember we have a travel clinic at Barnton Pharmacy. Call 0131 339 3449 for more information.

Chronic Medication Service - is it for you?

Do you have a long term condition which requires you to take medication daily such as high blood pressure, asthma or osteoporosis?

The Chronic Medication Service (terrible name for a great service) allows you to register with your chosen pharmacy in order to receive pharmaceutical care. For many people this will simple formalise what you have always done.  You have a question about your medication or are concerned about side effects or what medicines you can buy if you have a cold; you ask your pharmacist for help.

What this service allows the pharmacy to do for the first time is keep an electronic record of care given (in the same way your GP does) and share information with your GP if required. 

Another aspect of this service is serial dispensing. This part of the service is for you if your medication rarely changes and you are very settled on your tablets. Your doctor can sign you off for up to a year (normally after your annual check up) and you then simply come to the pharmacy every couple of months for your medication. No repeat prescriptions - no hassle.

If you want to no more about the chronic medication service - call in to Barnton Pharmacy and our friendly team will let you know if it is the right service for you.