Seasonal Cold & Flu Keep Pharmacists Busy

With a glut of influenza cases sweeping the city and bringing health services to their knees, Auckland pharmacists are being kept on their toes. Auckland City Hospital this week asked for the public's help to keep the hospital emergency department for serious emergencies only. According to an Auckland DHB statement, the department is experiencing the busiest period in its history, exceeding its plans for higher capacity to cope at this time of year.

Pharmacies in the central city appear to be busy but not quite as strained. Heavenna Moon, the pharmacy manager at CityMed Pharmacy, says the flu season has been similar to previous years. "We're busy all the time," Ms Moon says. "But this season we've been busy despite all the construction work around us." She noticed an increase in customers during the recently finished Lions rugby tour, as many of her customers then were under the weather Lions fans. While it is sometimes hard to determine whether a patient has a cold or flu, most of the infections Ms Moon encountered have been mucousy coughs in the chest rather than sinus infections.

Pat Brooking, pharmacist at Gladstone Pharmacy Parnell says quite a lot of patients with flu symptoms have been coming in and the business has sold a lot of Codral night and day tablets and cough lozenges. They have also dispensed their first Tamiflu prescription this year, which is a sign flu season is in full swing. "It's definitely peak period for coughs and colds," she says. Luckily, no pharmacy staff have been off sick yet.

Auckland DHB's Chief Medical Officer Dr Margaret Wilsher asked the public to stay away unless they had a real emergency. "We want to assure you that if you need immediate hospital-based attention, you will still receive the treatment you need, and we will provide you with the same high level of care. However, we ask that you only visit our emergency department if you need to," Dr Wilsher says.

"Our target is to see people within six hours of arrival, and we prioritise which patients are seen first based on the seriousness of their conditions. If you arrive at our emergency department with a non-urgent injury or illness you may experience a longer wait, and we ask you to please be patient."

The DHB advises people with needing non-urgent treatment to see their local GP or emergency clinic.

Refresh your cold and flu knowledge this season with Robitussin and Dimetapp education modules below.

Source: www.pharmacytoday.co.nz/news/2017/july-2017/18/seasonal-illnesses-keep-pharmacists-busy.aspx, viewed 19 July 2017