For every flu shot administered at London Drugs this year, a lifesaving vaccine will be donated to help protect the world’s most vulnerable children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
London Drugs’ Osteoporosis Screening Clinics to aid in prevention
Dubbed the ‘silent thief’, bone loss from osteoporosis occurs without symptoms – until the first fracture. According to Osteoporosis Canada, fractures from osteoporosis are more common than a heart attack, stroke or breast cancer combined, and yet over 80 per cent of fracture patients are never offered screening or treatment post fracture . Around 30,000 Canadians each year suffer from hip fractures, and many more suffer osteoporotic fractures affecting the spine, wrist, shoulder, and pelvis .
London Drugs offers Osteoporosis Screening Clinics to help patients determine their risk of developing osteoporosis, before a fracture occurs. Using the World Health Organization’s FRAX assessment tool and Sunlight Omnisense® device, Patient Care Pharmacists scan and measure the patient’s bone strength and assess their risk for falls and fractures. The consultation takes about 45-minutes.
Post-screening, patients are given an assessment of their vitamin D and calcium intake, lifestyle factors, and existing medical conditions as they relate to fracture risk. Each patient is then provided with tips on how to minimize their risks, and a personalized action plan to fit their wellness goals.
“Since osteoporosis often has no noticeable symptoms, routine screenings are crucial to help you stay informed about the changes that happen in the body during the aging process. We can develop an action plan to help improve bone health and minimize your risk,” explains Lily Liang, a Patient Care Pharmacist at London Drugs.
Osteoporosis Screening Clinics can be booked online or by calling the pharmacy.
So if you are overweight but you are also fit, do you erase the added risk of heart disease that carrying extra weight is said to add to your life?
No, according to a study from Imperial College London’s School of Public Health and published in the August 14 issue of the European Heart Journal.
In this study that covered participants from several different European countries for more than 12 years follow-up, researchers compared 10,000 people who didn’t have heart problems with slightly more than 7600 people who had known cardiovascular disease, and the researchers concluded that excess weight is a problem for your heart no matter how fit you think you are.
In other words, no matter how many or how few risk factors these study participants had for heart disease – they had high blood pressure, for example, or abnormal cholesterol levels, or diabetes, and so on – those people who were overweight had a higher chance of suffering a heart attack or dying suddenly from a heart problem than people with similar cardiac risks but who were also thin or at normal weight.
Bottom line: although some studies have claimed to show that if you are fat you are still OK in terms of your heart – so long as you also maintain a good level of cardiovascular fitness – this study found that is likely not true.
For a parent or a caregiver with a sick kid who requires some type of medication, the best advice I can give you is: make absolutely sure you know what dose of that drug to give your child.
Unfortunately, according to a recent study in the journal Pediatrics, too many parents don’t heed that warning.
So, in this study of 491 parents of children under the age of 8, the researchers found that 5 in 6 parents (83%) parents made at least one “dosing error”, that is, a mistake in how much of a particular drug to give a child.
However, when given available tools to help them accurately measure the right dose, far fewer parents made dosage errors.
Two key considerations to always keep in mind if you’re in charge of a child’s medications.
And as, your pharmacist can be a terrific help if you’re at all unsure of how much of a drug your child needs.
Among other concerns, new parents often wonder exactly how—or whether—breastfeeding will work for them. These questions can become more complex when breastfeeding moms get busy with life and/or a return to work.
A potential solution is a breast pump from Medela Canada, including the mobile Freestyle system, Easy Expression bustier, Calma feeding system, and much more. They’re all available at London Drugs. You can even rent the Medela Symphony Breastpump, which is a hospital-grade double breast pump proven to reduce pumping time through faster milk flow. The benefits of the double pump are:
Of course, knowing where to access breast pumping products isn’t enough.
Other questions include:
Luckily, London Drugs buyer Laurie Leeder and Medela expert Karli Kirkpatrick, along with LD pharmacist, Marmar Rabiei, joined forces recently on Facebook Live to answer these and other questions.
Find their two-part discussion in the video section of the London Drugs Facebook page. Or simply click below to watch now. (You’ll also find answers to some frequently asked questions in this post, below the videos.)
Q: How long will breast milk last?
A: The answer depends on a couple variables. First, whether the breast milk is fresh, refrigerated, frozen or thawed. And second, whether it is intended for a healthy term infant or one that is currently in a neonatal intensive care unit. Of course, the majority of cases fall within the first category. See the chart below for complete details:
Q: Which breast pump option best suits my needs?
A: The short answer is it varies based on your lifestyle and breast milk feeding goals! But there are two main options.
Double Pump: If you would like to provide breast milk to your baby full-time, share feedings, or return to work or school and continue providing breast milk, you will likely need a double pump. Double pumps are ideal for frequent, daily use and can be used full time, or to complement a full-time breastfeeding relationship. You can use them to pump one breast at a time (sequential) or both at once (simultaneous, which comes with some amazing benefits!).
Single Pump: These pumps are ideal to occasionally supplement full-time breastfeeding. They should only be used to fill roughly 1-3 bottles a week. This is because baby is responsible for maintaining your milk supply. So you should only be occasionally supplementing your breastfeeding with single pumping sessions.
Still Unsure? Click HERE for a great breakdown of all Medela pumps and how they should be used!
Did you know, many extended benefit insurance providers cover the cost of a breast pump. Check your coverage to see if this applies to you.
About Medela Canada: Many recognize Medela as the leading brand of breast pumps and accessories worldwide. What you may not know, however, is that Medela is the world’s largest supporter of scientific research surrounding breastfeeding, breast milk, and everything to do with lactation. We support Ph.D. research, nurses & doctors at universities and hospitals worldwide to conduct rigorous research. Then, we design, manufacture and bring to market products which incorporate their findings.
Our goal is always helping moms provide their babies with breast milk for as long as they choose. Breast milk provides three key benefits to babies: perfect nutrition, immunological protection and enhanced developmental growth. Moms benefit too, by lowering their incidence of certain illnesses and conditions, including breast cancer, diabetes, depression and more.
About the video: This Q&A was the first London Drugs Facebook Live broadcast. It was filmed in our Learning Lab studio, located this time at the Park Royal location in West Vancouver. We plan to create more helpful Facebook Live events, featuring various LD Experts. So we would would love to hear what topics or products you think we should cover next.
Until next time, thanks for watching!
Reminder: Check expiration dates and replace expired epinephrine auto-injectors before children head back to school
When children with life threating allergies experience anaphylaxis, parents, teachers and other caregivers often fail to administer epinephrine, according to a study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in July. The study showed that less than 40 per cent of kids — even those who had previously experienced anaphylaxis and been prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector — received a dose of the drug before they got to the emergency room or an urgent care clinic after experiencing a reaction.
London Drugs Pharmacy Manager, Gianni Del Negro says that the research suggests a need for more anaphylaxis education and awareness.
“While awareness in schools about allergies has grown in recent years, there is a lag in understanding when it comes to using auto-injectors such as the EpiPen. It is critical for anyone working with school-age children to be able to recognize the symptoms of anaphylaxis and understand how to use auto-injectors,” he says.
Within minutes, an allergic reaction can turn into a life-threatening situation. Using epinephrine immediately after exposure to an allergy trigger can help reverse the symptoms.
“Reaction times and symptoms are different for each child and there is no way to predict the severity of a reaction because the signs may not be the same for each occurrence. If a child has a known risk for anaphylaxis and caregivers suspect they may be experiencing a reaction, it is better to administer an injection rather than wait for paramedics or emergency care,” says Del Negro.
Since the effects of epinephrine can wear off and children can have subsequent allergic reactions, caregivers are advised to call 911 or take the child to the emergency room immediately after using an auto-injector.
He suggests that parents of children with severe allergies work with teachers and caregivers at the start of each school year to create an action plan with an explanation of the child’s allergy triggers, what to do in case of reaction, where they have access to epinephrine and how to administer emergency anaphylactic treatment.
The start of a new school year is an important time to check expiration dates since epinephrine auto-injectors expire. Expired products can be properly disposed of at any London Drugs location and pharmacists are available to counsel patients on how to properly administer them. Prescriptions are not required for epinephrine auto-injectors; however, some insurance plans cover them if the patient has a prescription.
Signs and symptoms of a life-threatening allergic reaction may include:
Although other substances get much more attention both from the media and the public, a report just out from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) starkly reminds us that the most problematic and costly substance in our culture is without any question alcohol.
Among the many near-term dangerous problems associated with alcohol abuse, there are these obvious ones: much higher levels of being involved in homicides, suicides, accidents (in the workplace, at home, and of course, on the road), poor judgement decisions (unsafe sex, and use of other dangerous substances, for example), mood changes, and a host of others.
As for the long-term costs of alcohol abuse, the huge list includes outstanding ones such as much higher levels of cardiovascular disease, psychological changes, liver disease, sleep disorders, and cancer since alcohol use (even at low and moderate intake levels) has been linked to a higher risk of a host of cancers including esophageal cancer and breast cancer.
And those long-term consequences don’t even address the other awful long-term negative effects that alcohol abuse delivers to a drinker’s family, workplace, community, and country (the incredible cost of dealing with alcohol abuse).
Bottom line: a little bit of alcohol might lead to some positive health effects and might improve some social situations (I can’t really picture going to certain parties unless I could nurse a glass of wine throughout) but anything beyond that carries potential significant health risks.
