Health Check at Barnton Pharmacy

The Barnton Pharmacy Health Check will give you an overview of your health to help you prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, certain types of dementia and lung disease. The health check is for anyone who has not already been diagnosed with one of these conditions. You will be given support and advice to help them reduce or manage that risk.

These diseases cause the majority of long term diseases in Scotland and many of them can be prevented.

Heart disease	Heart disease occurs when the artery that supplies blood to the heart becomes blocked.
Stroke	A stroke deprives your brain of blood and is a medical emergency.
Kidney disease	When the kidneys don’t work properly, it can cause serious health problems.
Type 2 diabetes	Diabetes can raise your risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Dementia	Vascular dementia is caused by problems with the supply of oxygen to the brain following a stroke or vessel disease
Lung Disease	Common in smokers and ex smokers. Can lead to breathlessness.

What happens at a health check?

The Health Check at Barnton Pharmacy is carried out by our highly trained team. It involves a few straightforward health tests and some simple questions about your medical history and lifestyle. The health check takes about 60 minutes to complete.

Getting ready for your health check

         Do not eat anything for 12 hours before your test. This includes milk in tea or coffee. You may have water

         Wear light clothing and a short sleeved top to make it easier to take your blood pressure. Bare feet needed for accuracy on scales, for ease at BMI test stage. Must be able to remove all footwear.

         Bring a fresh sample of urine with you.(No more than 2 hours prior to appointment) We can provide a specimen bottle.

Tests offered during your health check

Your Body Mass Index (BMI)	BMI is a measure of whether you are a healthy weight for your height. People who are overweight are more likely to develop vascular disease
Blood pressure	This is the pressure that your blood exerts on the walls of your arteries as it moves through them. High blood pressure can weaken the walls of your arteries, increasing the risk of blockage or breaking, which can lead to heart disease, stroke and vascular kidney disease.
Cholesterol	Cholesterol is a vital fat for the proper functioning of your body. There are two kinds of cholesterol and too much of one kind in the blood can narrow the arteries, which can lead to vascular disease. A small amount of blood is taken from your finger for this test.
Diabetes risk assessment	Diabetes occurs when the hormone insulin, which converts sugar into energy, doesn't work properly. This results in a build-up of sugar in the blood, which can result in a wide range of serious health problems. Left unmanaged, diabetes can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. A small sample of blood from your finger is taken to check the level of sugar in your blood.
Urine test	A sample of urine is tested for blood or protein to check whether your kidneys are working well.
Lung function test	To establish how well your lungs are functioning. You simply breath long and hard into a special device, which will monitor how well your lungs are functioning and give an estimation of how ‘old’ your lungs are compared to your actual age.

The results

Your health check results will be discussed with you fully.

You will get a personalised health action plan to take away which may include advice on what action you can take to lower your risk and improve your chances of a healthier life. This could include suggestions on small changes to your diet or how much exercise you take if your risk is low or moderate. If you are at higher risk, you will be referred to your doctor to discuss the findings further.

How much does it cost?

The health check at Barnton Pharmacy costs £50.00

Not all echinaceas are the same

I am on my second cold of the season. It is boring!

The first one was over Christmas and I blame my two small germ carriers (delightful though they are!) for most of the snotty noses and coughs and sneezes in our house. This time I decided to do my own small scale study on Echinacea,

I like the A Vogel products. The brand is well supported with great campaigns and good educational support for the pharmacy team and for customers. 
I have been using Echinaforce drops since starting with a sore throat last Thursday and I have to say I am quite impressed. you add 15 drops to water three times a day. Easy enough to and not unpleasant tasting.

Research has shown that Echinacea 

• strengthens the immune system
• is anti-viral 
• is anti-inflammatory

A Vogel Echinacea use a combination of the herb ad the root from the plant. This makes sense to me and has been shown to have a greater effect that either the herb or the root alone. 

Although I still have a stuffy nose, this cold has really not come to much whilst others around me have taken to there beds. Perhaps it is luck, but I am certainly convinced enough to try it next time.

At Barnton Pharmacy we can give you advice on a rage of herbal alternatives and natural products to help you feel great through the winter months.

Life on Roaccutane

Although it is almost the end of January - Happy New Year!!!
For the first blog of 2014, I would.like to hand over to one of my talented staff and highlight her blog.
One of our Saturday girls, Alix has been writing about her life, fashion and beauty on her blog "Let's kiss and Make Up"
During 2013, Alix also went on a course of the potent anti-acne drug Roaccutane and documented her journey to better skin.

Acne is not an easy thing to talk about, so thank you Alix for sharing your journey and I would encourage you all to have a look at Alix's story.

Ask Your Pharmacist

This week is Ask your Pharmacist Week

The focus of this year's campaign is to get members of the public to come to their local community pharmacy first, before going to their GP or accident and emergency department. 
There is a great website to support the campaign. Have a look.

I thought it timely to give you ten reasons why you should come to Barnton Pharmacy first:

1. Come to Barnton Pharmacy first because our friendly team will always make you feel listened to and welcomed. We recently got 100% in our mystery shopper survey!
2. Come to Barnton Pharmacy first because we can treat most minor illnesses free of charge on the NHS if you are eligible
3. Come to Barnton Pharmacy first if you want to ask a question about your medicines. Our pharmacists are the experts in medicines and how to get the most out of them.
4. Come to Barnton Pharmacy first if you want a flu vaccine but are not in an "at risk group". Our hassle free service only costs £15.00
5. Come to Barnton Pharmacy first for great offers on winter remedies. We currently have discounts on the whole strepsil range.
6. Come to Barnton Pharmacy first if you want to know how to look after yourself this winter. We have  a great raneg of vitamins and supplements including Echinacea
7. Come to Barnton Pharmacy first for a great range of unusual Christmas gifts and stocking fillers. Our first Christmas shopping evening is this Thursday from 6pm to 8pm
8. Come to Barnton Pharmacy first for advice on local services for people with dementia. We have been working with Alzheimer's Scotland to become a dementia friendly pharmacy.
9. Come to Barnton Pharmacy first if you want to have your hearing tested. Gordon holds regular hearing tests in the private consultation room which are free of charge
10. Come to Barnton Pharmacy first for travel vaccines and malaria tablets at our Travel clinic.

It's flu time again

The leaves have almost gone from the trees. The ones that cling on bravely are displaying all the colours of Autumn and the summer of 2013 will long be remembered as that hot lazy summer which is nothing more than a distant memory of paddling pools and Andy Murray's Wimbledon win!

This can mean only one thing - Time for your flu jab

Proper flu is proper horrid, and really can floor you and certainly leave you feeling rotten for a number of weeks, it claims many lives each year.

If you are over 65 or have a long term condistion such as asthma or diabetes contact your GP practice to arrange your free vaccine on the NHS.

If you still want to protect yourself, we can help with our private flu vaccination service:

• No appointment needed
• Quick and virtually painless
• Only £15.00
• Six days a week Monday to Saturday 

It's getting hot in here......

We spend a lot of time in Scotland talking about the weather. I often wonder what the small talk would involve if Barnton Pharmacy were located in Beiruit where the sun shines most of the time. 

It is summer at last and it is lovely! 

Whilst most of us are enjoying the weather, I thought it would be useful to share some tips as to how to stay healthy in the heat:

1. The very young, the elderly and the seriously ill are the groups who are particularly at risk of health problems such as heat stroke and dehydration when the weather is very hot. Take time to check up on friends, relatives and neighbours who may be less able to look after themselves.
2. Shut windows and pull down the shades when it is hotter outside. If it’s safe, open them for ventilation when it is cooler.
3. Avoid the heat: stay out of the sun and don’t go out between 11am and 3pm (the hottest part of the day) if you’re vulnerable to the effects of heat. 
4. Don't forget the suncream and hat when you do go outside. Have a look at these top tips for applying sun cream. 
5. Have cool baths or showers, and splash yourself with cool water.  Follow the kids and enjoy a dip in the paddling pool or play with the hose in the garden!
6. Drink cold drinks regularly, such as water and fruit juice. Avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.

There are about three days every year when we seriously consider the capital investment of air conditioning in the pharmacy and as soon as we get the figures and crunch the numbers, the seasons have moved on and the nights are drawing in again. In the mean time - ice lollies all round which, of course involves a trip to the lovely air conditioned supermarket a few doors along.

The Met Office have loads of helpful advice on their website and you can even check the pollen count and the UV index before you head outside to enjoy the summer - no matter how brief it may be.

Coeliac Awareness Week 2013

This week is Coeliac UK Awareness Week 2013 and we are taking part in the campaign to try to identity some of  the half a million people in the UK with undiagnosed coeliac disease.

What is it?

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by an intolerance to gluten. Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley and rye, so is found in cereals, bread and pasta.

The symptoms of coeliac disease vary from person to person, and can be mild or severe, which can make it difficult to diagnose but can include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, tiredness and a general feeling of being "not right".

Come in and talk to us if you are worried about your symptoms and we can help you decide what to do next.

What can be done about it?
If you suffer from the symptoms you can ask your GP for a simple blood test to check for antibodies associated with coeliac disease. Your GP will refer you for further investigation to confirm diagnosis.

After diagnosis
Once diagnosed, coeliac disease is treated with a gluten-free diet for life. Taking gluten out of your diet allows your gut to heal and your symptoms to improve. Companies like Glutafin and Juvela make a wide range of gluten free products and some of them are available on prescription.

Coeliac UK have loads of information and advice to help people with coeliac disease.