Pharmacy Self Care – Background Information

18 September 2006

Objectives of this session

1. To understand the goals of the Pharmacy Self Care programme
2. To know how the fact cards can be used in the practice setting
3. To have experience in using a fact card in a community setting

Pharmacy Self Care was introduced into New Zealand in October 1992 by PSNZ.

This followed a pilot trial of 12 of the Australian fact cards in Dunedin in 1990.

Pharmacy Self Care is an integrated health information programme that aims to improve the health status of New Zealanders by resourcing pharmacists, and their staff, to provide health information and advice.

Pharmacy Self Care goals

• To use pharmacy’s unique position to improve community access to quality health information, increase consumers’ health awareness and encourage active involvement in their own health care.

• To provide pharmacists with the opportunity to be recognised as primary centres for health information and advice.

• To establish close working relationships with the purchasers/providers of health services and other public/private health agencies, and present pharmacy as an essential resource to achieving their health goals.

• To improve pharmacy’s financial performance through raising pharmacists’ profile and marketing the professional aspects of pharmacy practice.

Pharmacy Self Care is unique because it brings together

1. Health information for the public
2. Education and training for pharmacists and pharmacy staff
3. Promotion of pharmacy

Membership

Currently 603 members (593 community pharmacies), including 3 hospital pharmacies. This represents 67% of community pharmacies.

Components of the Self Care programme

Fact cards - 31 fact cards

• These confirm in writing the oral advice given to the consumer, which is intended to improve patient compliance and product use.
• This information is at the recommended reading age of 10.
• The cards are written independently by a research pharmacist and consumer and specialist tested.
• They are reviewed regularly and updated. The fact cards are sent out to members to be reviewed before reprinting.
• They are also reviewed by the relevant sponsor’s medical team.
• The cards are reviewed by relevant organisations, such as Asthma & Respiratory Foundation.
• If there are changes in practices we will reprint the fact cards and withdraw all the old stock.
• Also, if a sponsor changes we withdraw the existing stock and replace it with new stock.
• If there is a dramatic change we send new stock to all Self Care pharmacies, otherwise we publicise the alterations in the PSNZ Inc newsletter The Edge – and pharmacies draw-on new stock as their old is used-up.

Workbook (deleted 2004)

This was a valuable reference source for Self Care pharmacists and their staff. It gave more detailed and clinical information for the pharmacist. It was discontinued in December 2003 as it was not cost-effective to continue researching and printing this book. The internet provides people with a great variety of up-to-date resources, and with some information, it became outdated by the time it appeared in the workbook.

Field Educators (disestablished Dec 2003)

Self Care had a team of eight trained pharmacists who were employed on a part time basis to support Self Care pharmacies.  They provided information, motivation, education and training for pharmacists and their staff.  They held regional training workshops and in-store training for staff.

Due to the changing regulatory environment, these positions were dis-established in December 2003. Self Care was going to have to recruit five new Field Educators for temporary positions - just until September 2004 when the HPCA Act was due to come into effect, and this was not viable financially.  At the time, the Society did not know what level of voluntary membership it would ‘enjoy’ and the risks of employing the field force under such uncertainties was not considered appropriate.

As a result of the reduction in this service, membership fees were reduced from $595 + GST down to $395 + GST. This resulted at the time in over 30 new members to the programme - due to the reduced cost.

Promotions

Health promotion initiatives are used to raise awareness of particular health issues and the role pharmacists can play. They involve fact cards, posters, continuing education and training for pharmacists. These are promoted in conjunction with sponsors and also have display competitions for members.

Newspaper columns

Monthly newspaper columns, focussing on specific health issues for which a Self Care card exists, are distributed to over 60 community newspapers.  Members are encouraged to advertise their services, and products, along with the columns.

Pharmacy Self Care is regularly represented at pharmacy conferences, trade fairs and relevant functions.

Why have Pharmacy Self Care?

The programme recognises the importance of all pharmacy staff working together as a team to promote pharmacy as the centre for health information and advice.

The pharmacist is a primary health care worker who is readily accessible, and provides people with:

• Information and services on staying well and avoiding health problems
• Oral and written information on health problems
• Disease treatment and assistance in solving health problems
• Support during the course of their treatment.

Pharmacy Self Care eases the responsibility for pharmacists by providing:

• Health information for the public through fact cards and promotions
• Education for pharmacists via the workbook (for those who have the original versions), health promotion initiatives and from Facts behind the Health Month publications.

Pharmacy Self Care gives pharmacists and their staff:

• Knowledge and skills to help them talk to customers about their health and medicines.
• Assistance to meet the growing expectations placed on pharmacists as primary health care professionals.
• The ability to expand professional services and build customer loyalty.

Pharmacy Self Care Statistics

• Pharmacy Self Care is a franchise agreement that costs $395 + GST per year.  This can be paid annually, quarterly or monthly.
• The programme is funded 80% by members’ fees and 20% by sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies and associated organisations.
• Over 470,000 fact cards were distributed to members of the public in 2005.
• Usage per pharmacy on average is about 60-70 cards per month.
• For the fee a pharmacy can order as many fact cards as it can use.

Using Fact Cards in the Practice Setting

Self Care is an essential tool for the pharmacist.

The idea is not just to go over the fact card with the patient, but to pick out important points and highlight them for that patient.

The sale of a Pharmacist Only Medicine should, where possible, involve the provision of a fact card.

The pharmacy’s name and address should be on the card to enable the patient to return to that pharmacy, or phone up for more advice.

Using the Self Care programme ensures you meet some of the obligations in;

• Health & Disability Code of Consumer Rights.
• Code of Ethics
• Quality in Pharmacy standards

How Pharmacy Self Care fits in with Pharmaceutical Care

The fact cards are a tool to be used in the consultation with the patient. It is one piece of information the patient can take home and it is in simple language.

It can be the first step for a pharmacist to get to feel comfortable about spending more time with their patients and discussing their conditions, using reference sources.

Resources provided to members

• a stand and display baskets with Self Care headers and footers
• 1 set of 31 fact cards
• counter unit
• red dividers – to display more than one card per basket
• 100 x “Did you know” leaflets
• 1 box “Ask for a fact card” stickers
• 2 x Self Care posters
• plus other promotional posters.

Twelve fact cards have Chinese translations.  Master copies can be sent to a pharmacy to photocopy as needed. Titles are Arthritis, Asthma, Colds, Cystitis, Type 2 Diabetes, Diarrhoea & Vomiting, Gout, Hayfever, Headlice, Reducing Fat & Blood Cholesterol, Sleeping Well, Using your Medicine Wisely.

The stands do not belong to members, they belong to Self Care.  When a member withdraw, the stand, card and other resources are uplifted and returned to Self Care.

Web site

Members have a secure section on the PSNZ website www.psnz.org.nz . This contains order forms for resources and ideas for staff training.

Ordering fact cards

Cards are ordered direct from Freestyle (the cards’ printers) using the special order forms provided to members.

Health promotions

Are used to raise the awareness of particular health issues and the role pharmacists can play. They involve fact cards, posters, continuing education and training for pharmacists, media releases, display competitions and advertising.

These promotions are done in conjunction with sponsors to tie in with health weeks.

To join Pharmacy Self Care

The pharmacy owner signs the declaration of intent and indicates method of payment.  Resources are then sent.

Why have fact cards?

Fact cards are written to assist pharmacists to meet their primary health care role.  The cards offer up-to-date accurate information that is easy to read and understand.  Often solving health problems requires a person to make changes to his/her life, eg changing diet, taking medicines regularly.  They need to understand why, and be able to recall the relevant information.  The fact cards serve both purposes.

By having the pharmacy’s name and contact details on the card, it creates customer loyalty by encouraging him/her to phone or come back to that pharmacy for further advice and information.

People are more likely to adopt new actions or behaviours when they understand the reasons for them.  The fact cards assist people to understand these reasons.

Pharmacist + Fact card = added value

Pharmacy Self Care provides;

• Patient health awareness
• Education in schools and the community – with the assistance of speakers’ kits
• Improved staff confidence
• Improved job satisfaction
• A move towards pharmaceutical care
• Commercial companion sales
• Enhancement of customer loyalty
• Clients’ improved health status.

Pharmacists who engage with patients in providing authoritative general health information, and assist patients manage their ill health with appropriate medicines advice and information, are fulfilling their primary health care role.

Pharmacists need a programme that:

• Provides quality independent patient information
• Establishes their pharmacies as centres for health care information and advice
• Enhances their professional marketing edge
• Gives them a high profile
• Recognises their primary health care role.

Pharmacy Self Care is that programme

Pharmacy Self Care

Pharmaceutical Society of NZ Inc

P O Box 11640

WELLINGTON

Phone 04 802 0030

Pharmacist Facilitator – Linda McLauchlan