“Continence issues affect 1 in 4 Aussies - at lots of different stages of life. It’s often overlooked or ignored by patients who don’t realise the support that can be offered. Pharmacists are here to provide accessible, discreet and expert care to everyone who walks through the door,” Professor Trent Twomey, National President Pharmacy Guild of Australia said.
“Too many people suffer in silence – it doesn’t have to be that way,” Continence Health Australia CEO, Jim Cooper said. “Supporting people to manage their continence health early means we can reduce long-term costs to the health system, ease the burden on carers, and most importantly, improve quality of life for millions of Australians.”
“Community pharmacists have an important role in starting these conversations and providing early support“ Jim Cooper continued.
Community pharmacists can support patients in a range of ways including advising on suitable creams, pads or products for different life stages and conducting medication reviews. They can also help patients with applications for financial support from the government to cover the cost of continence products through the Commonwealth Continence Aids Payment Scheme (CAPS) and other State and Territory programmes.
“Pharmacists are often the first point of contact for patients managing continence issues,” Professor Twomey said. “On average people visit a community pharmacy every three weeks. Community pharmacies have convenient opening times and 74% of all Australians live within 2.5km of a community pharmacy.”
To find a local community pharmacy offering these services visit Find a Pharmacy.
To find out more about Continence Health Australia visit continence.org.au