There have been an increasing number of vaccines recommended by national immunisation guidelines over recent years e.g. HPV, pertussis in pregnancy, meningitis B. In order to ensure that vaccine uptake rates are at optimum levels to maintain herd immunity, awareness and knowledge of vaccines by the public is important. Pharmacists, as first line healthcare providers are perfectly positioned to provide reliable, evidence based information on vaccines to the public.
The aim of this course is to provide a structured CPD programme for pharmacists on vaccines.
Many health issues emerge for women as they get older such as the menopause and its management and urogenital conditions. These can adversely affect patient’s quality of life but have a range of treatment options.
The aim of this course is to provide evidence-based advice to women experiencing the menopause and urogenital symptoms.
Acne effects nearly 90% of teenagers and half will continue to experience symptoms as adults. Acne has clear detrimental psychosocial effects and so patients are motivated to seek advice from their pharmacist.
The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the skin condition acne and describe appropriate management and treatment options for acne.
There are approximately 30,000 to 40,000 people living with epilepsy in Ireland. Dose adjustment and medication adherence are vital to ensure full control of this condition. New agents are now available which minimise side-effects and provide improved symptom control.
The aim of this course is to provide an update on the management of epilepsy and important safety advice on commonly used agents.
High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and heart attack. High blood pressure is a silent killer that more than 1.2 million people in Ireland are set to have by 2020. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) 2015 report on hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment and control in the over 50s in Ireland found that that 64% of people over the age of 50 have high blood pressure, equivalent to 797,000 people in this age group, and nearly half of those are undiagnosed.
The aim of this course is to provide advice and information on the prevention, detection and management of hypertension.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland. Simple lifestyle and screening measures can prevent skin cancer. The community pharmacist is ideally placed to offer advice on such measures.
The aim of this course is to describe the various types of skin cancer and their treatment and provide information for patients on how to prevent and detect potential skin cancers.
Technology is
changing diabetes management. Insulin pumps, providing a continuous background
delivery of insulin to the body, allows for improved blood sugar control and
have demonstrated improved clinical outcomes compared with injection
therapy.
The aim of this course is to provide information on insulin pumps, patients groups that benefit most from these devices and advice on monitoring and maintenance requirements for these pumps.
Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders. There are believed to be approximately 8,000 people suffering from Parkinson’s disease in Ireland. Although it is predominantly a movement disorder, it can cause significant disability and handicap with impaired quality of life for the affected person. Family and carers may also be affected indirectly.
The aim of this course is to gain a greater understanding of the condition, its causes and treatment.
Infertility may affect up to 1 in 5 couples. The community pharmacist is often responsible for dispensing medication to aid conception, along with providing counselling around these agents and their administration to their patients.
The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to infertility and its pharmacological treatment options, along with practice focused information for pharmacists.
HPV stands for human papillomavirus, which is a group of more than 100 viruses. Most people will get a HPV infection during their lifetime. It is spread by skin to skin contact, usually from sexual activity. This autumn, the HSE school vaccination teams will give HPV, meningococcal and Tdap vaccines to students, both boys and girls, in their first year of second-level school as part of the HSE vaccination programme. This is free of charge.
We know that the recommendation of a known health professional, such as a pharmacist, can lead to increased vaccine uptake. Pharmacists can play a significant role in the promotion of HPV vaccination so please help us to inform parents about its safety and effectiveness.