The understanding of the virus and of COVID-19 is continually evolving. While researchers and healthcare professionals have been investigating ways to prevent and manage COVID-19, there have also been many myths and much misinformation about COVID-19 circulating on various media platforms, locally and internationally. The Front Shop member of staff in the pharmacy is often […]
Continue Reading... No Comments.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the use of contraception advances the human right of people to determine the number and spacing of their children. Of the 1.9 billion women in the reproductive age group (15 to 49 years) worldwide in 2019, 1.1 billion had a need for family planning; of these, 842 million […]
Continue Reading... No Comments.Diabetes mellitus, more simply called diabetes, is a chronic (long-lasting) disorder in which the body does not produce enough insulin or it does not respond normally to the hormone insulin, causing blood sugar levels to be too high. Insulin is an essential hormone made in the pancreas. It allows glucose from the bloodstream to enter […]
Continue Reading... No Comments.After receiving several requests for a module on cannabis, we bring you a module which describes the current situation in South Africa. Pharmacists are facing increasing demands from patients, their caregivers and also from prescribers for access to cannabis- or cannabinoid-containing medicinal products for a wide variety of indications. Managing these demands requires careful consideration […]
Continue Reading... No Comments.Primary care is becoming increasingly important and pharmacists are well positioned and qualified to play a valuable role in this regard. As a component of primary care, screening services have become part of the armamentarium of services which pharmacists can provide in a pharmacy. This is recognised by the South African Pharmacy Council which has […]
Continue Reading... No Comments.High blood pressure (BP) or ‘hypertension’ is a common condition and a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease. High blood pressure does not usually cause any symptoms. People who have high blood pressure, therefore, are often unaware that they have the condition. Hypertension is therefore frequently referred to as a ‘silent […]
Continue Reading... No Comments.South Africa is one of the countries with the highest burden of tuberculosis in the world. This is exacerbated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and wide-spread drug resistance in the country. Globally, an estimated 2 – 3 billion people are infected with tuberculosis (TB) and an estimated 10 million people developed active TB disease in 2018. […]
Continue Reading... No Comments.TB is one of the top 10 causes of death and the leading cause of death as a result of an infectious disease. In South Africa in 2018, approximately 301,000 people fell ill with TB and 64,000 people died of tuberculosis (TB). This of a disease that is both preventable and curable. TB is currently […]
Continue Reading... No Comments.Fair-skinned people are more likely to develop most forms of skin cancer because they produce less melanin. Melanin is the protective pigment in the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) and helps protect the skin from ultraviolet (UV) light. About half of fair-skinned people who live to age 65 will have at least one skin […]
Continue Reading... No Comments.The skin is the largest and most accessible of our organs, directly exposed to environmental carcinogens. Skin cancer – the abnormal and atypical growth of skin cells – most often develops on skin exposed to the sun including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest arms and hands. However, skin cancer can also form in […]
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