Society's sexual health awareness campaign was “a great success”
The sexual health awareness campaign run by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society during the 2005 Ask About Medicines Week (PJ, 5 November, p587) was a great success, the Society announced this week.
The aim of the Society’s campaign was to encourage members of the
public to visit a local pharmacy for advice on sexual health. The Society
sent out more than 100,000 “Ask about sexual health” leaflets
as part of its contribution to the week (7 to 11 November).
Through its local public relations network, the Society also ran a media
campaign. Pharmacists across Britain were interviewed in newspapers and
appeared on local radio to put across the message that pharmacists can
provide expert help and advice on sexual health.
Commenting on the media campaign, Sultan Dajani, a member of the Society’s
Council and Council sponsor for AAMW, said: “It is pleasing to
see that so many pharmacists were keen to be involved in the campaign
and I would like to thank my colleagues at the frontline for their enthusiasm
in promoting the profession in a responsible and important extended public
health role.”
Sean Woodward, branch public relations officer for North Staffordshire,
said: “Sexual health is one of the main areas that we are promoting
in our primary care trust. I was able to highlight the leaflet to listeners
during my regular phone-in slot on BBC Radio Stoke and explain how pharmacists
are ideally placed at the frontline of health care to target and treat
patients.”
Charan Bahbra, prescribing support pharmacist at Surrey Heath and Woking
Primary Care Trust, said: “The leaflet was very good, attention
grabbing and easy to understand. The PCT set up two stands in the local
shopping centre during Ask About Medicines Week and the leaflet was one
of the resources distributed to patients as they walked by. Sexual health
can be a taboo subject and the leaflet educated patients and encouraged
them to seek further advice from their pharmacist. Some patients also
asked us for advice while visiting the stands.”
Copies of the “Ask about sexual health” leaflet remain available
from the Society’s public relations unit (tel 020 7572 2335; e-mail
pr@rpsgb.org). They are free to pharmacists
and other health professionals but a postage and packaging charge of £6
applies to all orders. An order form can be downloaded from the medicines
section of the Society’s
website, where the leaflet can also be viewed.
The leaflet is available in both English and Welsh language versions.
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal