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Women’s well-being and pharmacy services

The empathy, experience and expertise of a community pharmacist can play an instrumental role in women’s health, says Link’s Bank City pharmacy owner Deveesh Govind.

“We find that many women are so absorbed in caring for their loved ones that they tend to neglect their own well-being. A pharmacy which offers relevant and essential primary health services through well-resourced clinic services can have a meaningful impact on a woman’s health and well-being”.

Typical primary health services offered by a pharmacy clinic include:

  • Contraceptive care where the pharmacist can advise on the best options or provide important information. For example, according to Cancer Research UK, the contraceptive pill can slightly increase the risk of breast cancer but decrease the risk of ovarian and womb cancer.
  • Screen for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) and recommend treatment or refer you to a doctor.
  • Check your blood sugar levels. This screening is important in all life stages but after menopause, your body makes less oestrogen which can cause unpredictable fluctuations in blood sugar.
  • Regarding menopause, this is also a time when problems may occur, such as vaginal dryness which the pharmacist can advise on.
  • Alongside screening blood sugar levels, your blood pressure is another important and easy check. Symptoms are seldom experienced hence high blood pressure is often referred to as the ‘silent killer’. These two basic but essential screenings should not take longer than 5 minutes.
  • Advising pregnant women on medication safety is as important for the expectant mother as it is for the foetus. Your pharmacist can also advise you on new conditions caused by pregnancy such as urinary tract infections, nausea and vomiting.

“We understand that in some instances our customers would prefer being attended to by a woman, and our female clinic nurses or sisters can provide the necessary care with comfort and empathy”.

Recent surveys illustrate the need to prevent HIV, especially with South Africa having the world’s largest number of people living with HIV. Published in 2023, the HSRC (Human Sciences Research Council) survey which tracked HIV in South Africa from 2017 to 2022 reported approximately 7.8 million people living with HIV in South Africa. The survey indicated that HIV prevalence was twice as high among South African women compared to men.

“For women who are often time pressured as they tend to put the well-being of others before their own, a pharmacy is a caring, accessible and skilled resource for primary care and in many instances such as HIV, diabetes and blood pressure among others, preventative care. Putting yourself first does not take much time. A few minutes at the pharmacy can set the tone for a healthy life”.

 

While all reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this article, information may change or become dated, as new developments occur. The Link group shall not be held liable or accountable for the accuracy, completeness or correctness of any information for any purpose. No content in this article, irrespective of the date or reference source, should be viewed as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor, pharmacist or any other suitably qualified clinician.

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