Third Ask About Medicines Week about to get off the blocks
The annual Ask About Medicines
Week, which is in its third year, takes place next week from 7–11 November.
This year’s theme is “Ask”. An “Ask about your
cancer” patient booklet has also been produced as well as campaign
posters and leaflets.
A spokesman said: “We chose the Ask theme because we wanted to
get back to our core message. We feel that patients still don’t
ask enough questions about their medicines.”
This year 216 primary care trusts are getting involved in the campaign
with community pharmacists expected to play a key role.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is also contributing by running an Ask
About Sexual Health campaign to encourage the public, especially young
people, to seek advice from their community pharmacist about sexual health
and contraception issues (see p587).
The AAMW spokesman added: “Each year more people are getting involved
in the campaign. We are hopeful that with the new community pharmacy
contract that some PCTs will decide that Ask About Medicines Week should
form part of their core health awareness campaigns.”
Pharmacists who need campaign materials can e-mail info@askaboutmedicines.org.
Some material is available to download from the campaign website at www.askaboutmedicines.org
Ask About Medicines Week was originally set up by a consortium made up
of the Medicines Partnership, the then BMA’s Doctor Patient Partnership
and PECMI (Promoting Excellence in Consumer Medicines Information) in
2003.
Last year 454 organisations and individuals took part in the campaign
compared with 400 in its inaugural year. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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