One of last year’s batch of GSK swine flu vaccines stopped being used because of some reactions that were noticed. Fair enough, the odd part is the comment made by the spokesman for Canada’s health minister who said “We’re not seeing any thing wild or spooky or crazy about our vaccine at all.”

I’m not sure that’s the best possible wording as an official statement from a government health representative. But mildly entertaining nonetheless. Much like when you refer to drugs as “this stuff” to an elderly customer and they look at you like you just swore at them by using casual language. I get it, people are very touchy about their drugs. We have a way of getting complacent about our attitude towards drugs because to us they’re just meds, to others, it is “their” medication for “their” bodies. Which is something we need to consider when we talk to people. While with a younger person we can be more causal in our approach, but with our more senior customers, we need to take a more serious, still friendly, but respectful attitude when we refer to the medications. I have seen flippant attitudes given, sometimes accidentally when a staff member is in a hurry to get to the next customer, but it will leave your customer with a bad impression..

Here’s an interesting article from the Canadian Pharmacist’s Journal regarding establishing a vaccine practice on site. While this type of practice is not advancing in Australia, there are places such as Canada which are moving ahead.

The article mentions the advantages to the patient/customer as well as the pharmacist for this practice. Firstly it acts as a point of call for education and information particularly about travel vaccines. It is a convenient place and (probably) easy to schedule the vaccination. This is of particular help if booking at the doctor’s is not able to be time with a departure date, and eases the burden on the G.P. office to take in patients for vaccinations which takes away time from those patients that have more pressing investigations needed. (more…)