Key Summary
- Self-care is a shared responsibility between industry and pharmacists.
- Pharmacists can provide expertise, reassurance and trusted guidance.
- Industry can provide evidence, innovation and supportive tools.
Reckitt training and development manager Angela Carle has said that self-care, if done safely, can help reduce pressures on primary healthcare.
While making a presentation on “Supporting self-care in community pharmacy” at the recent Pharmacy Business Conference, she said that self-care is a shared responsibility involving pharmacists and the industry.
“Pharmacists provide expertise, reassurance and trusted guidance. Industry provides evidence, innovation, and supportive tools.
"Together they empower patients and help protect the NHS for the future," she said.
Carle described pharmacists and pharmacist technicians as “one of the most trusted touch points in the NHS.”
“Every day, people rely on your faithful judgement, your accessibility, and your ability to guide them through safe and effective self-care,” she added.
Citing PAGB's annual self-care survey, she said, “Attitudes towards self-care remain overwhelmingly positive, with 84 percent of adults saying it would be their first choice for healthcare. Confidence in OTC medicines is also strong.”
Carle said the patient behaviour is also evolving, with increasing numbers turning to digital information, self-management tools and community pharmacies as their first point of contact.
Role of industry
She said industries have a vital role in ensuring that self-care is done safely, which can help reduce pressure on the NHS and ensure that people get the right support at the right time.
They can do so by providing the following support:
Evidence-based information: Industry must provide clear, accurate, science-led information that helps pharmacists offer confident and consistent advice.
Education and upskilling: Industry should support pharmacy teams’ learning. With the advancement of digital learning technologies, the industry needs to create more user-friendly micro-learning opportunities alongside face-to-face ones.
Patients’ behaviour: Patients often need help to understand their conditions. Tools explain symptoms, timelines, and management strategies to support better adherence.
Innovation: Industry innovation can directly improve patient outcomes. Whether it's faster-acting formulations, improved delivery systems or products that address underlying mechanisms, innovation strengthens the self-care agenda.
Responsible marketing: All communication from the industry must be accurate, ethical, and balanced, prioritising patient safety and supporting the clinical role of pharmacy. National and international codes of practice need to underpin all communication.
Role of records
“Records take their role to support the pharmacy environment seriously by ensuring that there are clear enough elements of code to explain how we work together,” she said.
Carle says she is proud to work for the records for the way they support pharmacy by aligning with many elements.
“We put people's lives and needs at the heart of our business. We listen to consumers to better serve and enhance their lives. We act as accountable owners.
“We value diversity and invest in our people to give them the freedom to succeed. We seek out new opportunities, putting our entrepreneurial spirit to good. We are entrepreneurs, working smarter and meaner.”
Carle also pointed out that record invests in high-quality learning designed specifically for pharmacy teams.
She said that the industry plays a crucial role in supporting pharmacy teams by helping them to ease daily pressures.
“We also advance by providing point-of-sale materials and merchandising expertise to help customers navigate products more easily.”
