Q&A with a pharmacy owner

Raelee Hooton is the owner of Thirroul Pharmacy and a mother of two busy children. She has taken the time to answer a few of our pressing questions on how your local pharmacist can help families.

What role can a pharmacist play in the lives of parents and kids?

Pharmacists are a great source of information and support for parents as not only are they medicine experts providing advice about medications, but they also provide free medical advice without the need for an appointment. They are often the first “port of call” for many parents.

Pharmacists are often there at the beginning of the parenting journey offering health advice when planning pregnancy, during pregnancy and during the baby stages such as feeding advice and baby weighing services. We can also assess common childhood conditions such as eczema, headlice and wounds and assist with common conditions in teenagers such as acne, providing treatment saving the parents time. We can also assess if referral to a relevant health professional, such as their GP or nearest urgent care is the best option.

Is it true that pharmacists can supply medical certificates for parents and kids?

Waking up feeling unwell or having someone in your care fall ill when working is not pleasant. Often, it’s a tough decision to either “soldier on” and go to work or take leave so you or the person you are caring for can stay home, rest and recover.

Thankfully, many pharmacies, can now supply absence from work certificates for short-term and self-limiting conditions that typically fall into the pharmacist’s normal scope of practice such as common colds, stomach upset, migraines and back pain. This includes providing certificates for leave if you need to care for someone in your immediate family.

Before asking your pharmacist for an absence from work certificate we also recommend that you check that your workplace will accept these certificates. It is also important to know that two days is maximum length we can issue, and they cannot be backdated.

What are the most common illnesses you've seen this winter with children?

This winter we have seen a large number of children with respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, influenza and bronchial conditions caused by viruses.

We have also seen the return of many common childhood illnesses such as hand, foot and mouth, headlice, impetigo and colds as children have returned to school, daycare and social activities. Finally, eczema is also a common condition we are seeing a lot of as this winter has been particularly cold and households are using heating more to stay warm.

What are some of the key watch-outs parents should be across heading into spring?

Coming into spring we often see a rise in allergies and Asthma. Allergies are often a trigger for asthma, so it is not surprising we see a rise in Ventolin or reliever use in some children. It's important that parents of those with Asthma, review their asthma action plan, ensure they have the correct medication and ask for an inhaler technique review by your pharmacist.

As COVID-19 and influenza are still very present in the community parents should also ensure children, where possible, are vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza and test children if they develop COVID-like symptoms. Access to vaccinations has been easier with many pharmacies now providing vaccination services. Both these vaccinations are readily available at Thirroul Pharmacy for those aged 5 years and above.

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