Men's health should be taken into account in policy decisions
Men's health has not been properly considered as part of health policy and this needs to be rectified, according to the Men's Health Forum. This week, the charity launched “Getting it sorted” a document outlining the policy changes the MHF believes are needed to improve male health in England and Wales. One suggestion it makes is to explore ways in which pharmacies could offer improved services to men.
“The Department of Health has, generally, paid little attention
either to the specific health needs of men or to the wider issue of gender,” the
document says. This has resulted in little development of male-sensitive
policy and practice at a local level. “The assumption of primary
care practitioners has tended to be that ‘the services are there
and men can use them’,” it states.
Yet gender is a key determinant of health, the MHF points out. And better
understanding of male gender would help more appropriate services to
be developed.
Speaking at a reception jointly hosted by the All-Party Pharmacy Group
and the All-Party Group on Men’s Health this week, health minister
Rosie Winterton said that pharmacy’s contribution to improving
the health of the population needs to be given a higher profile. “That
is why we are developing a pharmaceutical public health strategy, to
be published in 2005. This will take account of the role of pharmacists,
their staff and the premises in which they work, to improve health and
reduce health inequalities,” she said. She added: “The proposed
new contractual framework will also be an important driver for change,
and address issues raised by the Men’s Health Forum in their response
to the pharmacy vision.”
The MHF calls for every policy document produced by the Department of
Health to consider men’s health. “Gender and men’s
health must become as obvious a subject for inclusion as the health of
minority ethnic communities or the health of socially disadvantaged groups,” it
states.
Other suggestions include providing health care services in a way that
is “male-friendly”, such as offering services outside working
hours and providing information aimed at men.
“High street pharmacies are presently under-developed in terms
of their potential to offer information, advice and guidance for self-treatment.
They are also known to be significantly under-used by men. Pharmacies
may have particular value in terms of delivering services to men and
their potential to do so should be explored,” the document says. |
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