Information will be available in these venues around Warwickshire for the whole month as part of a health improvement campaign to raise awareness of the harm alcohol can cause.
As part of the Public Health campaign, training has also been arranged for pharmacy staff to help them speak to the public about alcohol and safe drinking.
Coventry and Warwickshire’s treatment service, The Recovery Partnership, who are commissioned by the Warwickshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT), will train pharmacy counter staff to understand alcohol units and safer drinking limits, and learn more about the risks from excessive alcohol use. This will give them confidence to speak to customers about alcohol and signpost them to further services more appropriately.
This is part of a wider NHS Warwickshire Public Health project – the Health Champion Programme – set up to address a range of health related matters in partnership with the Local Pharmaceutical Committee and all pharmacies across the county.
Under the programme, pharmacies support three nominated public health topics each year by setting up visual displays, providing information, and offering advice to customers.
Warwickshire’s Director of Public Health, John Linnane, said: “Pharmacies were an obvious choice for us as venues for the mini health campaigns as they are well positioned in local communities and convenient for patients and the public.
“As they have regular contact with members of the public, pharmacy staff can have a great impact on improving the health of people in Warwickshire.
As well as alcohol, in 2012, we will also be looking at mental health and wellbeing, and healthy eating so similar campaigns on these themes will run in pharmacies later in the year.”
Paul Hooper, Warwickshire’s Substance Misuse Manager added: “The DAAT are pleased to be involved in this health campaign with local pharmacies. Alcohol misuse is a serious issue which causes a great deal of harm to individuals and their families so we welcome the opportunity to raise awareness of the issue.
“By passing on information safe drinking limits and offering advice to help people manage their alcohol intake, we hope to bring down the number of alcohol related hospital admissions, reduce the number of people in treatment and improve general health of the Warwickshire residents.”
For alcohol advice from the DAAT go to www.warwickshire.gov.uk/alcohol and to find out more about the Recovery Partnership visit www.cw-recovery.org.uk/
PHOTO: Mellors Pharmacy, Warwick – L-R Alison Boffin (NHS Warwickshire Public Health) Steve Bliss (Recovery Partnership) and Katie Whitehouse (Warwickshire DAAT) with Lynne Jones (Dispenser) and Andy McKenna (Mellors Pharmacist and Professional Development Officer of the Local Pharmaceutical Committee).