James Clappison MP visits Council member Graham Phillips’s Hertfordshire
pharmacy during lung cancer awareness month
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James Clappison (right) with Council member Graham Phillips |
James Clappison MP visited the pharmacy of Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Council member, Graham Phillips, in Radlett, Hertfordshire on 2 November.
The visit coincides with Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which aims to promote
the message that the early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer can
save lives. Local media also attended the event.
Mr Clappison said: “My late mother (who was a non-smoker) died
from lung cancer so I have some personal knowledge of this illness. I
would strongly urge everyone to seek advice and help as soon as possible
if in any doubt at all.’”
Mr Clappison continued: “Present in every community and constituency
throughout the UK, pharmacists are a valuable source of public health
information and have a special role to play in helping to raise awareness
of lung cancer.”
Community pharmacists have been positioned at the forefront of the campaign
and, in support of this, the UK Lung Cancer Coalition has produced a
toolkit to assist pharmacists in inviting MPs to pharmacies throughout
November. The aim is to highlight how pharmacists can help improve awareness
of the early signs and symptoms of lung cancer, as well as offer advice
and support.
The toolkit, which can be found at www.uklcc.org.uk/parliamentary_activity.asp,
provides easy-to-use resources for arranging a photocall for an MP, including
templates for invitations and press releases.
Mr Phillips, who is a member of the Lung Cancer Awareness Month Working
Group, said: ‘‘The toolkit is practical and simple to use.
It offers a way for pharmacists to get involved in Lung Cancer Awareness
Month with minimal extra work: you simply have to drop your details into
the template material. Within 48 hours of distributing the invitations
to my local MPs, three had agreed to attend my pharmacies. I then simply
distributed the template press release to local media: it could not be
simpler.’’
Lung Cancer Awareness month is supported by the Department of Health.
The Society is a member of the Lung Cancer Awareness Month Working Group,
comprising cancer charities, patients and health professionals (see also
PJ, 3 November, p504).
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal