A friend of mine is allergic to kiwi fruit and gets a nasty reaction if he eats, or drinks kiwi products...
It might come as a bit of a surprise to many that 1 in 1,300 people suffer anaphylactic reactions...leading to about 30 deaths per year! Commonly these reactions are due to nuts, insect stings, pollen etc, but even the humble kiwi fruit is dangerous for some...It's important that people avoid the allergen(s) that they are sensitive to...but sometimes they fall victim to the process of anaphylaxis - and many head naturally to a pharmacy for help and support.
As a consequence, all healthcare professionals in pharmacies and their staff need to be aware of anaphylaxis; and be able to offer treatment if necessary...In a survey from 2013, results showed that only 12% of pharmacists had the ability to deliver treatment.
Perhaps each pharmacy should have an anaphylaxis champion to ensure all staff are up to speed?
Perhaps each pharmacy should have adrenaline auto-injectors specifically for emergency use? Many now have them as part of the flu vaccination service, but are they available all year round?
Maybe the answer is that there should be a locally commissioned public health service that ensures pharmacies stock these products and staff are trained to be able to offer emergency treatment when called upon?
It might come as a bit of a surprise to many that 1 in 1,300 people suffer anaphylactic reactions...leading to about 30 deaths per year! Commonly these reactions are due to nuts, insect stings, pollen etc, but even the humble kiwi fruit is dangerous for some...It's important that people avoid the allergen(s) that they are sensitive to...but sometimes they fall victim to the process of anaphylaxis - and many head naturally to a pharmacy for help and support.
As a consequence, all healthcare professionals in pharmacies and their staff need to be aware of anaphylaxis; and be able to offer treatment if necessary...In a survey from 2013, results showed that only 12% of pharmacists had the ability to deliver treatment.
Perhaps each pharmacy should have an anaphylaxis champion to ensure all staff are up to speed?
Perhaps each pharmacy should have adrenaline auto-injectors specifically for emergency use? Many now have them as part of the flu vaccination service, but are they available all year round?
Maybe the answer is that there should be a locally commissioned public health service that ensures pharmacies stock these products and staff are trained to be able to offer emergency treatment when called upon?
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